It took many years, but now the time has come: yesterday, Tuesday, the Boeing 787-9 “Dreamliner”, Austrian Airlines’ first new long-haul aircraft, landed in Vienna. Another machine will follow in mid-June. The first long-distance flight to New York will take place on June 15.
The many years of efforts by AUA management to modernize the long-haul fleet are finally paying off. In fact, with the two new aircraft, the fleet for overseas destinations grows from nine to eleven aircraft. By 2028, nine more Boeing 787-9s are expected to successively replace AUA’s existing long-range jets of the 777 and 767 families. The 767s have been in use for about 30 years and therefore have a significantly higher kerosene consumption, for example.
“Dreamliner” in use on short-distance routes from May 20
The 787-9 will be used on short-haul flights until its first flight to New York, probably from May 20. The crew has to get used to the plane, which can accommodate almost 300 passengers. But the goals have not yet been determined. But with a bit of luck, as a guest on your intra-European flight you can enjoy a special travel experience in the much larger aircraft.
No AUA paint job yet
However, the ‘Dreamliner’, from parent company Lufthansa, will travel in a white dress until further notice. The painting work should have been done exactly at the time of the KV negotiations for the shipboard personnel. However, because this jeopardized growth plans, the decision was made not to give the aircraft the AUA logo yet, it is said. This should happen now, probably at one of the next inspections.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
