NAGOYA, Japan, July 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE:
BA), airline customers, industry partners and community leaders
joined together today to celebrate Boeing's donation of the first
787-8 Dreamliner flight test airplane to Centrair International
Airport in Nagoya.
"It is fitting that we bring Boeing's first-ever 787 Dreamliner,
also known as ZA001, back home to Nagoya, the heart of Japan's aerospace industry," said George Maffeo, president, Boeing Japan. "Many of
our partners here spent countless hours to develop and produce the
787 Dreamliner's airframe structure and Centrair was with us from
the very start of the journey. ZA001 carried all of our dreams and
aspirations, and has grown to symbolize the storied partnership
between Boeing and Japan's
outstanding aerospace industry."
"We are honored to be selected by Boeing to house the permanent
display of the world's first-ever 787 Dreamliner," said Masanao
Tomozoe, president and CEO, Central
Japan International Airport Co., Ltd. "This milestone will
allow us to significantly contribute to the aerospace community as
well as the Greater Nagoya region
by spurring the imagination and interest of future aviation
pioneers here in Japan."
ZA001 is the last of three original flight test 787-8s Boeing
has donated to inspire future generations, communities and aviation
enthusiasts around the world. Previously, Boeing donated ZA002 to
the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Ariz. and ZA003 to the Museum of
Flight in Seattle.
ZA001 first flew on Dec. 15, 2009,
beginning what would become a six-airplane flight test and
certification program for the 787-8. ZA001 performed a variety of
ground and flight tests with a focus on aerodynamics, flight
controls and systems performance.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is the first in a family of
technologically advanced, super-efficient airplanes with new
passenger-pleasing features. With its unmatched fuel efficiency and
environmental performance – 20 percent less fuel and
emissions than the airplanes it replaces – the 787 has saved more
than 2 billion pounds of fuel since entering service in 2011.
Sixty customers from around the world have ordered more than
1,100 Dreamliners, making it the fastest selling twin-aisle
airplane in Boeing history. In Japan, ANA and Japan Airlines have ordered a
combined 128 787 Dreamliners – marking the largest customer base of
787s in the world.
Central Japan International
Airport (Centrair) is a 24-hour international hub airport located
on a man-made island off the coast of Nagoya. Centrair serves 30 cities around the
world with 300 weekly departures, as well as major cities in
Japan with 80 flights per day. In
2015, the airport celebrated its 10th year of operations and was
also awarded the prestigious "Best Regional Airport in the World"
accolade by Skytrax.
Centrair is a transport hub for the local aerospace and
automotive industries. It is the only airport in the world from
which both the 787 main wing and fuselage sections are flown to
Boeing's final assembly plants in the U.S. on the Dreamlifter.
Contacts:
Rob Henderson
Boeing Japan Communications
+81-90-1420-9662
robert.j.henderson2@boeing.com
Kevin Yoo
Boeing Commercial Airplanes Communications
+1 206-249-6372
kevin.k.yoo@boeing.com
Julie O'Donnell
787 Program Communications
+1-206-245-8553
julie.o'donnell@boeing.com
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SOURCE Boeing