Lufthansa is expected to debut the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in early 2022, according to German media. The flagship airline has 25 firm orders for the jet, five of which were placed in May and which include units already produced for other customers.
These are the five 787s that are due to be delivered from the end of 2021 and that are being reconfigured to Lufthansa standards, which includes a new passenger cabin that will also be used on the Boeing 777X.
The Dreamliner’s debut at Lufthansa will be in Toronto, Canada, the company confirmed on Tuesday. But it is highly likely that the first planes will make short-haul flights to familiarize pilots, flight attendants and ground personnel.
It is worth remembering that the Boeing 787 order also includes other Lufthansa group airlines such as Swiss and Austrian Airlines.
The German carrier will likely only put the new widebody into service when it has at least two jets received, in order to have a margin for possible operational problems.
FAA restrictions
Lufthansa’s plan, however, could be affected by the quality problems the 787 has been facing. The FAA, the US civil aviation regulator, has stopped Dreamliner deliveries until Boeing can prove that these aircraft had their problems corrected in aspects such as wiring and compliance of fuselage parts.
According to sources in The Wall Street Journal, the commercial jet is not expected to have new units delivered until at least the end of October. Although the first planes have already been built, it is possible that they will have to undergo detailed inspections before being released for commercial flight.
