RJ preparing to receive first Boeing 787 in August


Amman, April 28 (Petra)–Royal Jordanian is undertaking all preparations to receive its first 787 aircraft, which is expected to join the airline’s fleet in August, after the US aircraft manufacturer confirmed that the RJ Dreamliner assembly is now in full process at the Boeing Seattle factory.




Royal Jordanian, the national carrier of Jordan, will be receiving four more B787s by the end of 2014; the other ordered aircraft will follow in the next few years, helping RJ reach new markets and fly to more cities around the world.




RJ Head of Training and Standards/B787 program manager, Captain Ghassan Obeidat said that the airline is currently preparing to meet the necessary conditions and the technical requirements for the introduction of these new aircraft, which will constitute a qualitative leap in the services offered passengers on long-haul flights.




Captain Obeidat added that preparations for the arrival of the jets and the training of pilots to fly the 787 will start in May, adding that the one-month course will be held at the Boeing Campus in Gatwick, London. The training will cover around 80 pilots working on the airline’s current Airbus fleet.




He pointed out that groups of engineers, mechanics and composite experts at RJ, in addition to a number of flight attendants, obtained the required training for the new 787 in Miami. The qualified employees will, in turn, train other staff members on the maintenance and inflight services of the new Dreamliners.




According to Captain Obeidat, RJ’s plan to introduce this new type of plane to its fleet is going smoothly, in constant coordination with Boeing, which expressed admiration for the airline’s arrangements to that end.




The new Dreamliner will have a total seating capacity of 270 seats: 24 full flat seats on the Crown Class and 246 seats on the Economy Class.




Passengers on the 787 Dreamliner can enjoy major improvements, starting with wider seat pitches, bigger windows and many other specifications that will allow the airline to provide improved and new on-board services, according to Captain Obeidat.




These 787 airplanes are expected to gradually replace the current Airbus 340s and 330s, a step in line with RJ’s strategy of modernizing fleet, expanding routes and keeping up with the latest technology, added Captain Obeidat.




The Dreamliners will open many horizons for Royal Jordanian, particularly helpful in the prevailing atmosphere of sharp competitiveness in the region, where many Arab carriers are seeking to renew their fleet by signing huge purchase orders with either Boeing or Airbus.




Boeing introduced the totally new and efficient 787 Dreamliner in 2004. The aircraft is built with carbon-fiber composite materials and a powerful electrical system to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency, as its uses 25% less fuel than today’s similarly sized airplanes, enabling it to offer an exclusive eco-friendly performance.




The new planes will also enable airlines to increase their cargo revenues by providing about 20% to 30% more cargo capacity than the current airplanes of the same size.




At the heart of the 787 design is a modern system architecture that is simpler, more functional and more efficient than that of today’s airplanes. For example, onboard health-monitoring systems allow the airplane to monitor itself and report system maintenance requirements to ground-based computer systems.




//Petra//



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