Boeing · Widebody · In Production

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

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The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is a wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner that serves as the stretched, primary variant of Boeing's composite-intensive commercial family. Designed to succeed older mid-size widebodies like the Boeing 767 and Airbus A330, the dash-9 bridges high capacity with exceptional intercontinental range, making it a cornerstone for point-to-point long-haul network strategies.

Standing as the commercial sweet spot of the Dreamliner lineup, the aircraft introduced advanced aerodynamics—such as raked wingtips and noise-mitigating engine chevrons—alongside an extensively digitized cabin environment featuring higher cabin pressure altitudes and larger dimmable windows. Powered by either General Electric GEnx-1B or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 turbofans, the type unlocked numerous ultra-long-range direct connections previously uneconomical for mid-sized equipment.

By The Numbers

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has established itself as the most commercially successful variant of the Dreamliner family. Program data shows that the 787-9 has accumulated over 1,480 orders, with more than 750 aircraft delivered to operators worldwide. As Boeing works through its substantial twin-aisle backlog, the 787-9 consistently leads widebody production output, supported by final assembly operations in Charleston, South Carolina.

The type is heavily utilized across major long-haul networks globally. Primary mega-operators of the Dreamliner family—heavily anchored by the 787-9 variant—include major carriers such as All Nippon Airways (ANA), United Airlines, American Airlines, and Qatar Airways, connecting high-density international and transcontinental city pairs across North America, Asia, and the Middle East.

Head-to-Head

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner vs Airbus A350-900

When examining the modern long-haul widebody sector, the Airbus A350-900 and the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner stand out as premier competitors, frequently evaluated side-by-side by fleet planning teams. While both are twin-engine, long-range aircraft heavily reliant on composite materials—with carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers comprising roughly 53% of the A350-900 and 50% of the 787-9 by weight—they approach market demands with distinct geometric and structural philosophies.

Capacity and range profiles highlight these nuanced differences. The Airbus A350-900 typically accommodates around 300 to 350 passengers in a standard three-class layout and stretches to a maximum range of approximately 8,100 nautical miles. In contrast, the Boeing 787-9 seats roughly 250 to 325 passengers in a comparable configuration, with a published maximum range of about 7,635 to 8,300 nautical miles depending on operational configurations. This gives the A350-900 a structural edge in overall payload-range capacity, making it a frequent tool for dense intercontinental trunk routes or ultra-long-range missions, whereas the 787-9 excels in opening point-to-point thinner city pairs with optimized trip costs.

Economic analyses demonstrate a tight contest in operating metrics. Industry cost evaluations indicate that the larger A350-900 often yields a lower cost per available seat mile (CASM) due to its higher passenger volume, whereas the lighter 787-9 frequently achieves a competitive cost per aircraft mile on account of its reduced maximum takeoff weight. Maintenance, crew, and trip fuel expenditures vary depending on network topology, engine selection, and specific airline leasing structures.

A meaningful technical differentiator lies in cabin cross-section and environmental control systems. The Airbus A350-900 has an outside fuselage width of about 5.96 meters, against about 5.77 meters for the Boeing 787. The A350 is nine-abreast in economy and the 787 is usually eight- or nine-abreast, depending on the airline. However, the Dreamliner relies on a pneumatic bleedless architecture powered by its engines to maintain a lower cabin altitude (around 6,000 feet) and higher ambient humidity, paired with electronic electrochromic window dimmers. The A350-900 achieves a similarly comfortable 6,000-foot cabin altitude using conventional engine bleed air from its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB powerplants, with traditional window shades.

View full Airbus A350-900 profile →

Manufacturing

Where It's Built

Final assembly of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family takes place exclusively at Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston, South Carolina. Production was historically split with the Boeing Everett Factory in Washington state, but Dreamliner final assembly was consolidated entirely in North Charleston starting in 2021.

The 787 program relies heavily on an extensive international and domestic supply chain where major structural sections are delivered substantially complete:

Fuselage Sections: Spirit AeroSystems (Wichita, Kansas, USA) builds the cockpit section, Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Japan) builds the forward fuselage section behind it, and Leonardo (Italy) produces the central fuselage sections. Boeing South Carolina builds the aft fuselage sections.
Wings and Box Structures: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries manufactures the composite wing boxes, while Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Japan) produces the fixed trailing edges and the main landing gear wheel well. Subaru Corporation (Japan) constructs the center wing box.
Empennage and Control Surfaces: Vertical fins and stabilizers are produced by Boeing's internal fabrication division in Tacoma, Washington, alongside specialized trailing edge flaps and rudders fabricated in Australia.
Avionics and Systems: Rockwell Collins supplies primary flight displays and communication architectures, while Thales provides integrated flight display systems and core electronics.

The total documented development and initial production program cost is estimated across financial reports and industry analyses to be approximately $32 billion.

Notable Operators

All Nippon AirwaysUnited AirlinesAir New ZealandKLM

Watch

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner In Action

British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner full takeoff from Tokyo Haneda

Boeing Vietnam Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner Vertical Takeoff & Steep Turns 2015 Paris Air Show Prep

Safety Record

Notable Safety History

Regulatory authorities including the FAA and EASA have periodically issued mandatory Airworthiness Directives (ADs) concerning structural and mechanical issues identified through ongoing fleet monitoring and manufacturer investigations, leading to required engineering modifications and inspections.

Notable safety directives include:

Wing Splice Plate and Fastener Inspection Mandates: Regulatory oversight prompted by manufacturing investigations into excessive preload forces and shim gaps at lower side-of-body splice plates led to mandatory ultrasonic and detailed inspections to mitigate potential fatigue cracking in primary wing structures.
Electrical Power and Battery System Redesign: Following electrical anomalies and localized thermal events in early service, the FAA and global regulators mandated comprehensive redesigns of the lithium-ion battery containment systems, charger configurations, and venting arrangements under revised airworthiness standards before clearing the fleet to resume operations.

Covers officially investigated accidents only, per aviation safety authorities (NTSB, FAA, EASA, AAIB or equivalent).

Sources & Further Reading