EVERETT — The first addition to the Boeing 787 family took off Tuesday from Paine Field, near the factory where the plane was assembled, to the cheers of a couple of hundred Boeing employees who watched the blue and white plane with a number 9 on the tail rise into a cloudy sky.
The 787-9 took off about 11 a.m. local time, nearly an hour later than scheduled. After its maiden test flight, the plane landed Tuesday afternoon at Boeing Field in Seattle.
The 787-9 is 20 feet longer and can seat 40 more passengers than the original 787-8, which carries between 210 and 250 passengers. The new version of the fuel-efficient, long-haul wide-body known as the Dreamliner also can carry more cargo and fly farther, Boeing spokeswoman Kate Bergman said.
The 787-9 has 388 firm orders, which account for 40 percent of all 787 orders, Bergman said.
After flight tests and certification, the first 787-9 will be delivered next June to the launch customer, Air New Zealand.
