Aircraft overview

The Boeing 787 is a twin engine, widebody jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It first flew on December 15, 2009, entered airline service in 2011, and remains in production. Designed for long haul and medium capacity routes, the 787 introduced extensive composite primary structure, more electric systems, large cabin windows, and improved cabin pressurization compared with earlier widebodies. For buyers, it matters because it combines intercontinental range with lower trip costs than larger four engine aircraft, while serving markets that may not support a 777 or A350 size aircraft.

Performance & specifications

Typical long range cruise is Mach 0.85, about 488 knots at altitude. Published range depends on variant and configuration: the 787-8 is listed at up to about 7,305 nautical miles, the 787-9 at about 7,565 nautical miles, and the 787-10 at about 6,330 nautical miles. Maximum certified altitude is 43,100 feet. Power comes from either General Electric GEnx-1B or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 turbofans, depending on customer selection. Maximum takeoff weight also varies by model, with later and larger variants carrying higher certified weights. Payload, range and airport performance should be checked against the exact weight option, cabin layout and engine standard.

Cabin & avionics

In airline service, typical two class seating is roughly 242 passengers for the 787-8, 290 for the 787-9 and 330 for the 787-10, although real layouts vary widely. The cabin is known for a lower equivalent cabin altitude, higher humidity capability, LED lighting and electrically dimmable windows. The flight deck is a Boeing widebody environment, not a Garmin G1000 or Garmin Perspective installation. It uses large-format multifunction displays, fly by wire controls, integrated flight management, electronic checklists, dual head-up displays on many aircraft, and advanced health monitoring through Boeing’s common core systems architecture.

Buying & value

Used Boeing 787 availability is shaped mainly by airline fleet plans, lease returns and engine support status. Due diligence should focus on total hours and cycles, ETOPS approval, records of early production modifications, composite repair history, cabin condition, landing gear status, software standards and engine life limited parts. Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 powered aircraft require particular review of applicable inspection and durability programs, while GEnx powered aircraft should be checked for configuration and performance improvement package status. Common choices are the longer range 787-8, the higher capacity and highly demanded 787-9, and the denser 787-10 for trunk routes. VIP and BBJ 787 aircraft are rare and priced separately from airline configured examples.