United Airlines takes delivery of their first Boeing 787-10

United Airlines has become the first airline to operate all three variants of the Boeing 787, with their new addition being the 787-10, also making the airline the first to operate the type in North and South America.

The aircraft, registered N14001, is the first of 14 787-10s that will enter service with United over the coming years. Just like their existing fleet of Boeing 787s, their 787-10 is powered by two General Electric GEnx engines.

Services with the new aircraft will commence on the 7th of January, 2019, with United placing it on the Los Angeles route. Newark – San Francisco flights will commence not long after, on the 14th of February. Fast forward a bit and United will be placing the 787-10 on European destinations from their Newark hub.

318 seats are installed in the aircraft, of which, 44 are Polaris Business class 21 are their new Premium Plus, 54 are Economy Plus and 199 are economy. A new entertainment system has been implemented that allows for split-screen viewing. Passengers can watch a movie and watch the map at the same time using this feature. Additionally, a “relax mode” is available, which allows you to compile a selection of relaxing music and videos. Movie and TV recommendations will automatically adjust to flight time remaining and what you were previously watching.

You can see more of Polaris in Sam’s review:

United’s configuration for the 787-10 increases their seat count by 66 compared to their 787-9, which paired with the fact that the 787-10 is a stretch, only costs the airline 1200 nautical miles of range. Considering the 787-10 isn’t intended to be used by the airline as a long range aircraft, this makes for an exceptional “economic powerhouse” for short, heavy-hauling routes.

Gerry Laderman, Chief Financial Officer at United, reflected on the delivery in the following statement:

“The 787-10 is an excellent addition to United’s fleet. It offers superior fuel efficiency while providing a more comfortable customer experience onboard that allows passengers to arrive at their destinations feeling more refreshed”

In additional statements to media, United mentioned the Boeing 787-10 using 20% less fuel compared to older aircraft, however they didn’t mention what older generation aircraft specifically.

United released an entertaining image to celebrate the arrival of their 787-10, as well as outlining some basic specifications of the aircraft:

Other operators of the 787-10 include launch customer, Singapore Airlines who has Rolls-Royce engines selected, and Etihad.

Additional information and images of the interior and exterior will come shortly when United presents the aircraft during an official media event.