All Nippon Airways (ANA) has reached another milestone in preparing for the delivery of the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Ten ANA pilots, who will be the first to fly the airline’s new aircraft, have completed their training with flights in Boeing’s 787 test plane.
Sherry Carbary, Boeing Flight Services’ vice president, said: “Boeing and ANA have a close working relationship, and this is and has been a personal and emotional journey together.
“We’ve been putting in some long hours to get to this point, and seeing the completion of the first set of training is a testament to our team and to the dedication of our partners at ANA.”
All the pilots are now considered to be fully qualified to fly the 787 under Japanese regulatory authority.
The first delivery of the Boeing 787 to ANA is due to take place in the third quarter of this year, some four years behind the original schedule.
Production of Boeing’s next generation aircraft has been beset with difficulties, with a fire caused by an electrical fault last year the latest to cause a delay on the delivery date.