Dark leather chairs and brown-leather
footrests complement the metallic design.
Seat-back in-flight entertainment screens
are a generous 13in (in Business they are
16in and 12in in Economy) and there is
a second small tray for easy storage of
personal electronic devices.
With a pitch of 38in (96.5cm), the
seat meets most Premium Economy
expectations; although its generous recline
does risk a reduction of the usable space
for passengers behind a fully reclined seat.
Premium Economy seats come with a pillow,
blanket and menu service, as well as an
amenities kit.
The remaining 166 passengers travel
in Economy Class, which is arranged in a
3-3-3 configuration. With long-haul services
in mind, seat pitch is set to 32in (81cm) –
providing an extra inch (2½cm) of legroom
when compared with Qantas’ existing fleet.
This goes a long way towards compensating
for the seats marginally narrower design
than in the airline’s A380s and Boeing 747s.Each seat comes with a 12in (30½cm)
entertainment unit, which sits above a
handy tray, enabling travellers to utilise their
own electronic devices in-flight. There is a
small storage pouch for personal effects, an
adjustable headrest and each seat comes
with a pillow, blanket and basic amenities kit.
Welcome drinks are served, bringing
the international economy embarkation
experience in line with the premium cabins,
and headsets are provided free.THE FUTURE
The first aircraft spent much of its first weeks
of service operating familiarisation flights
between Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. On
December 15, it was due to transition tolong-haul services, operating Melbourne to
Los Angeles.
The 787 fleet will be utilised on Qantas’
connecting services between Los Angeles
and New York, currently run by the 747s,
while in March 2018 they will inaugurate the
ground-breaking Perth to London flights.
As part of the second five year term of
Qantas’ Emirates partnership the Australian
carrier will continue to codeshare with latter
airline on European services via Dubai.
However, no Qantas aircraft will stop in
Dubai from March onwards as its services to
Europe will bypass the Middle East airport
and operate via Perth or Singapore.
The 787’s potential to open up new
and exciting routes throughout Asia and
Europe is immense. One thing is for sure,
as company profits continue to soar, and
with seven additional 787-9s on firm order,
11 787-8s in the Jetstar fleet and options
for a further 45 Dreamliners – the future of
Boeing’s newest jetliner in Australia is well
and truly secure.FLEET INFORMATION
Aircraft Designation: Boeing 787-938
Registrations: VH-ZNA – VH-ZNH
Names: Great Southern Land (delivered), Great Barrier Reef,
Boomerang, Skippy, Waltzing Matilda, Uluru, Quokka,
Dreamtime (not announced yet which of the yet-to-be
delivered aircraft will have the above names)
Engines: GEnx 1B74/75/P2 engines
Range with full payload: 9,008 miles (14,498km)
Did you know? Qantas hosted a naming competition for the 787-9 fleet with the
winners announced in June 2017. There were more than 60,000 entries with name
suggestions and 45,000 public votes on the short list.
Delivery Flight: The aircraft departed on delivery from Everett Field near
Seattle on October 17, 2017. It had the flight number
QF7879 and flew to Sydney via Honolulu. The stop at
Hawaii is something of a Qantas tradition for the first
example of a new type of Boeing airliner for the carrier.http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 21Above: The crew rest area aboard the 787
provides sleeping space for the crew on ultra
long-haul flights to London.
Below: With Perth to London Heathrow flights
starting in March, the 787 will be a familiar
sight in Perth.18-21_quantasDC.mfDC.mf.indd 21 04/12/2017 14:49