Boeing 787 Dreamliner Aircraft: Safety Record and Performance Statistics

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the bestselling passenger widebody aircraft, has entered service in 2011 with over 2,000 orders from 89 customers. The aircraft has carried more than one billion passengers on nearly five million flights. Despite concerns over Boeing's 737 Max aircraft, the Dreamliner has a relatively clean safety record. However, recent incidents have raised questions about the aircraft's safety. Air India crash in May 2010, pilot error was blamed for a crash involving an Air India Express plane carrying 190 people in August 2020, and a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Ethiopian Airlines caught fire while parked at Heathrow airport with no passengers onboard in 2013.

Key Takeaways:

• The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the bestselling passenger widebody aircraft, with over 2,000 orders from 89 customers.
• The aircraft has carried more than one billion passengers on nearly five million flights.
• The Dreamliner has a modern engine, uses lightweight materials, and has improved aerodynamics, increasing fuel efficiency by up to 25%.
• Recent concerns over Boeing's safety have focused on the 737 Max, not the 787 Dreamliner.
• The aircraft has faced few major incidents, with one notable exception: a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Ethiopian Airlines caught fire while parked at Heathrow airport with no passengers onboard in 2013.
• Air India has 34 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in its fleet, according to aviation analysts Cirium.
• Pilot error was blamed for a crash involving an Air India Express plane carrying 190 people in August 2020.
• India is one of the world's fastest growing markets for passenger flights, with a history of deadly crashes.

Statistics:

• Over 2,000 orders for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner have been placed by 89 customers.
• The aircraft has carried over 1 billion passengers.
• The Dreamliner has flown nearly 5 million flights.
• The aircraft has a fuel efficiency increase of up to 25% compared to the planes it replaces.
• 34 Boeing 787 Dreamliners are part of Air India's fleet.
• 190 people were on board the Air India Express plane that crashed in August 2020.
• 158 people died when an Air India plane overshot the runway and crashed in May 2010.

Sources:

• Boeing, "737-8 and 737-9 Facts," undated.
• Cirium, "Air India Fleet," undated.
• "Boeing 787 Dreamliner catches fire at Heathrow Airport," BBC News, August 2013.
• "Air India Express plane crash: 21 dead," BBC News, August 2020.
• "Air India plane crash: 158 dead," BBC News, May 2010.