Boeing Rolls Out First 787 For Jetstar

Jetstar’s first 335-seat Boeing 787 — the first of 64 for the Qantas Group — has been rolled out of the paint hangar at Boeing’s Washington State plant and will be delivered on October 1.

It will then go to the Australian regulator to be certified to start flying initially on Australian domestic routes in November.

Jetstar’s 787 program director Mark Dal Pra said using it domestically would let more Australians experience the state-of-the-art plane.

It would be the only 787 used on domestic routes and would later join the airline’s international network.

The Jetstar 787-8 has an entertainment system with video on demand, games, USB ports and in-seat power.

It is the most technologically advanced commercial plane with many passenger features not found on any other plane.

A key to its quantum leap is the carbon fibre-reinforced polymer composite construction, which is far lighter and stronger than traditional aluminium and does not corrode.

This allows higher cabin humidity and less pressurisation to eliminate negatives of flying such as dehydration and mild altitude sickness.

Other advances are big windows and gust suppression to counter turbulence.

Jetstar will get 14 787s which will replace its A330s while Qantas has commitments for 50 of the larger 787-9 which can seat 40 more passengers and fly further.

The plan is for Jetstar’s A330s to be refitted and used by Qantas on domestic routes until its 787s arrive after 2016.

Long term the Qantas Group expects to operate about 64 787s.