Boeing’s newly painted 787-9 Dreamliner, painted in bright pink and purple livery, will now be used for tours in Everett, Washington. The Boeing Future of Flight centre; “North America’s only publicly available commercial jet assembly plant tour”, will start offering a speciality tour beginning tomorrow (Monday 16th September).
The exhibit will run for a week between 16th September until Sunday 22nd September, although it will not operate on Thursday. The centre is offering a 30-minute tour of the 787-9 Dreamliner at its plant for the small price of $7 for adults over 15.
What do we know about this aircraft?
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was actually destined to fly for Hong Kong Airlines, as reported by Airliner Watch on 19th August. But Hong Kong Airlines, who flies ones of the youngest fleets in the skies, decided to drop the aircraft from its order. As such, the aircraft was repurposed.
Its colourful livery was revealed around 16th August when a photo was leaked as the aircraft left the paint hangar. Boeing received the aircraft on 2nd August, according to Air Fleets, with registration N1015B.
Stepping away from the usual white paint we see on most of its aircraft, this design chartered new waters for Boeing. In a statement about the livery, it said:
“It’s the first time Boeing teams have placed a full body decal onto a composite airplane.”
But even more impactful than Boeing’s achievement is the meaning behind it.
The paintwork on the aircraft is a tribute to the work of the Employees Community Fund of Boeing (ECF) which celebrates employees of the aircraft manufacturer who have contributed to charity through the organisation.
Among the pinks and purples are symbols which represent the many charities who have been helped by the fund.
In its statement, Boeing said,
“…Boeing’s community-building employees are being recognized in a whole new way.”
According to the release, the Employees Community Fund of Boeing has contributed USD $1 billion to aid local communities, with $630 million of that being put back into the Washington state since it started in 1948.
The employees who had contributed to the scheme were among some of the first to see it. On its unveiling, one exclaimed:
“To see it painted with the ECF livery really makes me proud to be a Boeing employee.”
Boeing’s Dreamliner
The Dreamliner is special, not only for Boeing. Many airlines have put their faith in its technology, including Air Lease Corporation who recently changed 15 of its Boeing 737 MAX orders to Boeing 787 Dreamliners. This was though, in part, to be a result of the MAX grounding.
Last year, Boeing reported on the success of its event in Japan where the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft was showcased in an exhibit in Nagoya called ‘Flight of Dreams’. It said:
“[The aircraft was donated to the exhibition] in the hope that the airplane will now serve as a symbol of innovation and imagination for the next generation of aerospace engineers, pilots, scientists and enthusiasts.”
That was in 2018, and now, again, Boeing is bringing its innovation to the public eye. It’s not clear what will happen to the aircraft after the Everett exhibition but we’re hopeful for a permanent installation.
What do you think about the Dreamliner’s livery? Will you visit the exhibition? Let us know in the comments below!
