Boeing 787 Dreamliner facts and costs as it joins Air India fleet

The first Dreamliner is scheduled to arrive in the Indian capital Delhi on Saturday, September 8, 2012.

This delivery is the first of 27 Dreamliners planned for Air India which aims to use the aircraft as a key focus of its business turnaround strategy. The fuel-efficient Dreamliner aircrafts will help Air India phase out its older fuel-guzzling aircrafts and save costs.

Costing between $205m and $250m for every air-craft, India has ordered for 27 Dreamliner planes.

"Today is a great day for Air India as the most technologically advanced and fuel efficient airplane in the world joins our fleet," said Rohit Nandan, Air India chairman and managing director.

The airplane is equipped with 18 business class seats and 238 economy class seats. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has the range and capability that will help Air India to fly it on many routes including the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Air India's first 787 Dreamliner was assembled in Everett, Washington, US and was delivered on September 6, from Boeing's South Carolina delivery center. The airplane is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Friday.

There have been severe production and delivery delays around the 787 Dreamliner airplanes. Airlines including Air India and United Airlines had asked Boeing to pay compensation charges of up to $1bn for the delay.

Just last month, the Indian government gave permission to Air India to take delivery of the Dreamliners from Boeing after the compensation dispute between the company and the airline was settled. The financial terms of the settlement was not disclosed.

Apart from Air India, only Japan’s All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Latin America’s LAN Airlines, and Ethiopian Airlines have taken delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplanes.

Quick facts and costs of Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

• It is a wide-bodied twin-engine jet airliner
• It can seat up to 290 passengers 
• All 787 Dreamliners are assembled in Boeing’s Everett factory in Washington
• Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is priced at $206.8m 
• Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is priced at $243.6m
• December 2009: The 787 Dreamliner embarked on its maiden flight
• July 2012: The 787 made its first appearance at an international air show at the Farnborough Airshow, in the UK
• October 2011: The 787 flew its first commercial flight from Narita to Hong Kong on All Nippon Airways
• 2012: The 787 flew its first commercial long-haul flight from Haneda to Frankfurt on All Nippon Airways
• September 2012: India’s flagship carrier Air India prepares to receive its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane.