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The unmatched mix of fuel efficiency, operational flexibility, and improved passenger comfort that revolutionized long-haul travel has made the Boeing 787 Dreamliner the most commercially successful widebody aircraft in aviation history. The 787’s performance indicated that investment in creative, high-risk “clean sheet” technology may fundamentally disrupt the aviation business and achieve long-term competitive advantage.
The significant use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite materials and the construction of big, one-piece barrel sections are the most distinctive features of the 
Boeing 787’s fuselage design. The stronger, corrosion-resistant composite fuselage allows for a more pleasant cabin atmosphere with increased humidity, lower simulated altitude, and the biggest, electronically dimmable windows in the sky.
Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Plastic
The Boeing 787 was a significant strategic decision for Boeing that fundamentally changed the industry and gave it a strong competitive advantage. Instead of traditional aluminum, the 787’s airframe, including the wings and fuselage, is approximately 50% composite by weight and 80% by volume. The 787 is approximately 20% to 25% more fuel efficient than the airplanes it typically replaces.
The aircraft incorporated advanced wing design with raked wingtips and new-generation engines from GE and Rolls-Royce featuring noise-reducing chevrons on the housings. Boeing also replaced heavy, complex engine-driven pneumatic and hydraulic systems with a “bleedless” electric system that further improves efficiency and air quality.
When the first 787 was delivered to All Nippon Airways (ANA) in 2011, Jim McNerney, Boeing chairman, president and CEO, gave these remarks:
“Today we celebrate a significant moment in the history of flight. The 787 Dreamliner is the biggest innovation in commercial aviation since the Boeing 707 introduced the world to passenger jet travel more than 50 years ago. I want to thank ANA and all the employees of Boeing and our partner companies for the talent, technology and teamwork that have brought this game-changing airplane to life.”
The use of composite materials allowed for a more comfortable cabin environment with higher humidity levels and lower simulated cabin altitude. The 787 is pressurized to 6,000 feet instead of the typical 8,000 feet, which significantly reduces passenger fatigue and jet lag. Combined with other passenger-friendly features like large, electronically dimmable windows and a quieter cabin, it has made it a favorite among travelers.
Boeing’s New Cornerstone
The 787’s technology was a direct answer to a changing market, allowing Boeing to lead in a new era of aviation. Despite early manufacturing hurdles and quality control issues, the 787’s core design has proven tremendously successful, transporting over a billion passengers and becoming a vital pillar of Boeing’s long-term business and market position.
The efficiency and performance of the 787 instantly put competitor, Airbus, on the back foot. To counter the Boeing 787, Airbus developed two distinct strategies: the A350 “extra wide body” (XWB), a clean-sheet, highly developed rival alongside the A330neo, which is simply an upgraded version of the legacy A330 airframe.
On top of being the launch customer, ANA has become the largest operator of the 787. In February 2025, the airline decided to order 18 more 787-9 midsize Dreamliner, which brings its total to 120 787 series jets, including those in service and yet to be delivered. In 2020, after nine years of proven service, the Executive Vice President of ANA and ANA HD, Yutaka Ito, made this statement after the company’s sixth 787 order:
“Boeing’s 787s have served ANA with distinction, and we are proud to expand our fleet by adding more of these technologically-advanced aircraft. These planes represent a significant step forward for ANA as we work to make our entire fleet even more eco-friendly and further reduce noise output.”
|
Metric |
Boeing 787 Dreamliner Family |
Airbus A350 Family |
|---|---|---|
|
Total Orders |
2,277 |
1,447 |
|
Total Deliveries |
1,229 |
682 |
|
In-Service Date |
2011 |
2015 |
The 787’s benefits have translated into great commercial success, with over 2,000 orders from nearly 90 customers worldwide, making it the best-selling widebody aircraft family of all time. The continuous demand promises a considerable production backlog for Boeing for years to come. With its significant use of composites and all-electric architecture, Boeing pushed the limits and established industry standards that rivals had to meet.
Why The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Has Much Longer Range Than The 787-10
The higher-capacity jet has some impressive capabilities.
A New Era At Boeing
The 787 is Boeing’s most technologically advanced widebody jet, delivering at volume today, with its innovations carrying over into other programs. At 19 inches (47 centimeters) in height, the 787’s windows are nearly 65% bigger than those on similar commercial aircraft. The 787’s CFRP sections allow for its enormous window size. In classic aluminum fuselages, windows are “weak spots,” and their size is regulated to ensure structural integrity.
The 787 also employs an electrical dimming technology that colors the window on demand in place of a physical shade. While passengers have individual control over their windows’ tint, the flight attendants may alter all windows simultaneously from their station. This allows the crew to adjust cabin lights for passenger slumber during long-haul flights or adapt to different time zones.
The 777X features an all-new, high-aspect-ratio carbon-fiber composite wing that directly applies to Boeing’s extensive material science expertise gained from the 787 program. The saw-toothed chevrons on the trailing edge of the 777X and 737 MAX’s engine nacelles were an innovation inspired by the 787. The “Boeing Sky Interior,” with LED lighting and a more open feel with sculpted overhead bins, was first developed for the 787.
The 777X incorporated many of the 787’s passenger comfort features, like lower cabin altitude, increased humidity, a quieter interior, and wider windows to reduce jet lag. The 777X flight deck has huge, 15-inch display panels and powerful avionics, building on the interface and systems architecture created for the 787. Some of the laminar flow technology concepts developed for the 787 nacelles are also used in the GE9X engine nacelles of the 777X.
One Step Ahead Of The Competition
The 787 had several years’ head start in the market versus the Airbus A350 and A330neo, allowing it to define the “point-to-point” route network strategy. The three different 787 variants offer a range of sizes and capacities that can serve diverse route structures, with some variants offering an advantageous mix of range and capacity for specific “thin” long-haul routes.
The Dreamliner beats the A330neo out on fuel efficiency, cabin features, pressurization, and range. The 787 also has a more generous cargo capacity (belly freight) than the A330neo, making it a more profitable airliner “below the wing” for airlines that rely on freight revenue. The 787-8 is perfectly sized for long-range, thin routes that the A330-900neo cannot compete on.
|
Feature |
Airbus A350-1000 |
Boeing 787-10 |
|---|---|---|
|
Length |
73.79 m (242 ft) |
68.28 m (224 ft) |
|
Wingspan |
64.8 m (212 ft) |
60.1 m (197 ft) |
|
Fuselage Width |
5.96 m (19 ft 7 in) |
5.75 m (18 ft 11 in) |
|
Typical Passenger Capacity |
350-410 (3-class configuration) |
330 (2-class configuration) |
|
Maximum Passenger Capacity |
Up to 480 seats in high-density |
Up to 440 seats in high-density |
|
Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) |
319 tonnes (703,200 lbs) |
254 tonnes (560,000 lbs) |
Like the 787, the A350 is mostly composed of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (53% by weight) to minimize weight and prevent corrosion. But instead of using Boeing’s single-piece barrel sections, Airbus employed a panel-based manufacturing method, which it says is simpler and less expensive to repair. It integrates superior aerodynamics, high-efficiency Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, and a comparable sitting environment (Airspace cabin) with similar cabin altitude and humidity to challenge the 787’s attributes.
When it comes to capital costs and acquisition discussions, the 787’s cheaper upfront cost compared to the A350 may be crucial. The most common model, the 787-9, seats roughly 290 passengers in a standard configuration, which suits the “heart” of many carriers’ networks better than the slightly bigger A350-900. Airlines pick the 787 because it offers a highly adaptable and efficient platform that was the “right plane at the right time.“
787-8 Vs 787-9 Vs 787-10: How The Dreamliner Variants Differ
The three 787 variants are tailored to different market segments to fill niches and offer a placement for different previous-generation aircraft.
The Dreamliner’s Controversial Launch
A 2005 lawsuit by the European Union against the United States was filed as a retaliatory action within a larger, decades-long dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO), where both sides accused each other of providing illegal subsidies to their respective aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing.
In 2011, a WTO panel confirmed that Boeing had received at least $5.3 billion in illegal subsidies, including specific NASA and DoD research funding. The WTO also found that Airbus received even larger amounts of illegal, low-interest, repayable loans dubbed “launch aid” for its A380 and A350 programs, resulting in hundreds of lost sales for Boeing.
The dispute resulted in billions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs imposed by both the US and the EU on a wide range of goods, including aircraft, wine, cheese, and whiskey. Over a decade of litigation and appeals, the WTO rulings were complex and found fault with both sides. In 2021, the two sides finally agreed to a truce, suspending the tariffs for five years to negotiate a long-term solution.
