With airy, vaulted ceilings, intuitive design specs and style to spare, you almost forget you’re in flight.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its Irish debut at the Dublin airport Thursday, January 26th, as part of the “Dream Tour,” showcasing the new spacious aircraft across the globe. The plane was on view today to coincide with the 14th Annual European Airfinance Conference in Dublin.
The Dreamliner breaks new ground in a number of areas, making the aircraft more environmentally efficient, quieter, and more comfortable for passengers especially on longer flights.
One of the major goals of the new model is to bring people back to the joy of flying, said Michele Lodl, a representative for Boeing.
“When we were designing the 787, we brought key psychologists to the table, and we were able to work with them and our engineers to determine how we could best connect people to that magic of flight,” Ms Lodl said.
The result is an internal architecture that fosters a feeling of openness. Windows are 30 per cent larger than those of a 767, allowing passengers to glimpse the outside world even seated in the middle of the aircraft. The ceilings are much higher, and the LED lighting that illuminates the cabin can be adjusted to simulate a sunrise or sunset.
More intuitive controls also allow for four ways to open an overhead storage bin and windows are electronically dimmed within a matter of seconds. Even the toilet seats raise or lower with the wave of a hand.
It’s not just aesthetics, however, that make this new plane special, said Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
“I guarantee you; at the end of a long flight you’ll feel better. This airplane is made of carbon fibre and reinforced plastic or composite materials. What that does is it allows us to lower the cabin altitude so when this airplane flies, you actually have 7 per cent more oxygen in the air,” said Mr Tinseth.
“We have a system that not only takes viruses, but odours out of the air. We have a little bit more humidification so you don’t dry up as much. And, finally, we have technology that helps smooth out the ride.”
To date, there have been 860 plane orders for 59 customers. As of yet, however, there have been no requests by carriers Ryanair or Aer Lingus.