United Takes Delivery Of First 787-9 Aircraft In North America

United Airlines has become the first North American carrier to take delivery of the Boeing 787-9, a stretched version of the Dreamliner.

The aircraft is the first of 26 of the newest member of the Dreamliner family United has on order.

The 787-9’s extended range – 8,550 miles compared to the 787-8’s 8,200 – will enable United to launch its Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia, service on Oct. 26, the airline’s first regularly scheduled international deployment of the aircraft. It will be the longest Dreamliner route in the world to date. In advance of the Melbourne route launch, United will primarily fly the aircraft between Houston and Los Angeles.

United’s 787-9 will be configured with 252 seats – 48 in United BusinessFirst and 204 in United Economy, including 88 Economy Plus seats with added legroom. The fleet also comes with factory-installed Wi-Fi connectivity.