American plans to debut its premium-heavy Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on one of its longest routes. The aircraft entered revenue service last week, operating between Chicago O’Hare and Los Angeles, as well as London Heathrow.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline will also use the 787-9P between Dallas/Fort Worth and Auckland, New Zealand. At 7,439 miles, this route is the carrier’s third-longest scheduled flight, after Dallas/Fort Worth-Brisbane and Los Angeles-Sydney.
American’s senior vice president of network planning, Brian Znotins, shared during a May 29 media event that the 787-9P would be added on Dallas/Fort Worth-Auckland flights this winter. The airline scheduled the 244-seat aircraft on this route last weekend.
According to Cirium Diio schedule data, the aircraft will begin operating between Dallas/Fort Worth and Auckland on Jan. 5, replacing the carrier’s standard 787-9 configuration. The 787-9P will serve this seasonal route on a daily basis.
American’s 787-9P features 51 Flagship Suites, the carrier’s newest business class product. The aircraft has 41 fewer seats than the airline’s standard 787-9s.
In the coming months, the 787-9P will operate from Chicago and Philadelphia to London, along with Philadelphia to Zurich. This winter, it will be deployed on the carrier’s flight between Dallas/Fort Worth and Brisbane.
More Destinations
Znotins added that the new 787-9Ps will unlock more destinations for the carrier, particularly those with strong premium demand.
“ No one in the airline is more excited to receive these airplanes than we are in the network planning team, of which I’m part of,” he said. “It’s something that we’ve been waiting for, for a number of years, because we have a number of destinations we’re very excited to launch these airplanes to.”
American also plans to reconfigure its Boeing 777-300ERs with the Flagship Suites product. In addition, the carrier’s Airbus A321XLRs will feature these premium seats as well, which will unlock new long-haul destinations, Znotins continued.
