Without much ado last week, Los Angeles International Airport became the first in the United States to be served by Boeing 787 Dreamliners from two different airlines.
Last Wednesday, Chile’s LAN Airlines began three-times-a-week 787 flights between Santiago and Los Angeles. The next day, United Airlines launched daily 787 service (replacing a Boeing 777-200ER) from LAX to Tokyo-Narita.
Multiple Milestones
• LAX becomes the fourth US airport to see regularly scheduled 787 service, the three others hosting one flight each: Boston (Japan Airlines), Seattle (ANA) and San Diego (Japan Airlines). (Dulles was receiving Ethiopian 787s but the equipment was changed back to 777-200LRs.)
• LAN becomes the first carrier to operate regularly scheduled 787 flights between the US and anywhere outside of Tokyo.
• LAX becomes just the third airport in the world to see more than one 787 operator, joining Tokyo Narita and Frankfurt.
• United becomes the first 787 operator in the Americas to fly transpacific service.
• United’s LAX-NRT service marks its first regularly scheduled 787 flights. (Unlike the short-term proving flights that it’s been running around the US).
More 787s Coming Online
As 787 deliveries have accelerated in recent months, the number of airlines that operate them and cities that are served by them will takeoff quickly also. Three more US airports will receive 787 service in the next three weeks. San Jose is set to join the 787 club on January 11 with Tokyo flights from ANA. LOT Polish Airlines flies 787s to Chicago O’Hare starting January 16 and New York-JFK February 3.
