Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

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B788  Boeing · Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner at a glance

  • What it is: the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is a long-haul widebody built by Boeing, first flown in 2009.
  • On the radar: it shows up as type code B788. How to spot it overhead.
  • How far it flies: about 13,530 km without stopping, cruising near 903 km/h.
  • How many it carries: 242–248 passengers, depending on how the airline fits out the cabin.
  • Power: 2× GEnx-1B / Trent 1000, with a 60.1 m wingspan.
13,530 km
Range
903 km/h
Cruise speed
242–248+
Passengers
2009
First flight

The first airliner with a majority composite airframe, launched into service by ANA in 2011. Its efficiency opened hundreds of new long, thin routes between secondary cities. Larger windows, higher cabin humidity and lower cabin altitude improved passenger comfort.

The story of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

Boeing launched the 787 Dreamliner in April 2004 with a record order for 50 aircraft from All Nippon Airways. The plan was to open thin long-haul routes rather than funnel everyone through hubs in A380-style giants. Boeing also spread the supply chain worldwide and built the airframe mainly from carbon fiber. Both were bold departures from Boeing's usual way of working, and both carried real risk.

The pain came quickly. The 787-8 first flew on December 15, 2009, over two years late, and ANA began service on October 26, 2011. Lithium-ion battery fires then grounded the world fleet for more than three months in 2013, the first grounding of an airliner type since 1979. Boeing redesigned the battery box and vented any smoke overboard. The fleet returned to the air a few months later.

Once the fix was approved, the -8 settled in as a long-range route opener. Airlines flew thin city pairs, such as secondary European cities to distant hubs, that could never fill a 777. Around 400 were built before the larger -9 and -10 took over new sales. The wider program has passed 1,100 deliveries and two billion passengers. ANA, Japan Airlines, American and Qatar Airways all fly it.

Design and engineering

About half the 787-8 by weight is composite, including one-piece carbon-fiber fuselage barrels wound as single units, which need no rivets along their length. Two General Electric GEnx-1B or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 turbofans with chevron nozzles provide thrust. They take no bleed air, so an all-electric systems design runs the aircraft.

That allows a lower 1,800-meter cabin altitude, more humidity and large dimmable windows in place of shades. The long, raked wing flexes visibly. One type rating covers the -8, -9 and -10. Passengers arrive noticeably less tired on long flights.

How to recognise the B788 in the wild

Look for the smoothly raked, upswept wings that flex visibly in flight, chevron-serrated engine nacelle trailing edges, a nose blended into a four-window cockpit, and oversized cabin windows; the -8 is the shortest Dreamliner. More tells in how to identify any aircraft overhead.

Variants and close relatives

VariantWhat sets it apart
787-8The original and shortest Dreamliner, ideal for opening thin long-haul routes.
787-9A six-meter stretch with more range and seats that became the family best seller.
787-10The longest version, optimized for dense medium-to-long-haul routes.
BBJ 787VIP-configured Dreamliners delivered as ultra-long-range private and government transports.

Major operators: All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Qatar Airways - Find them in the airline database and watch their B788s on the live map.

Facts about the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

  • The 787's cabin is pressurized to about 1,800 meters instead of the usual 2,400, possible because the composite fuselage tolerates higher pressurization stress.
  • Its windows are roughly 30 percent larger than comparable jets and dim electronically, with no pull-down shades.
  • The 2013 battery grounding was the first FAA grounding of an entire airliner type since the DC-10 in 1979.
  • The 787's wings can flex upward by several meters during gust loading tests, a visible signature of its carbon-fiber structure.
ICAO type code
B788
Manufacturer
Boeing
Capacity
242–248 passengers
Range
13,530 km
Cruise speed
903 km/h
MTOW
227,930 kg
Engines
2× GEnx-1B / Trent 1000
Wingspan / length
60.1 m / 56.7 m

Aircraft related to the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

Comparable types selected by family, manufacturer, capacity, range and generation.

B789 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Boeing · 290–296 passengers B78X Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner Boeing · 330–336 passengers B763 Boeing 767-300ER Boeing · 218–290 passengers B752 Boeing 757-200 Boeing · 180–239 passengers

More aircraft and tracking guides for the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

Spot one overhead using our aircraft identification guide. Telling this maker apart from its rival is easier than it looks, as Boeing versus Airbus shows. Long-haul jets like this cruise high and far, explained in narrowbody versus widebody.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

Range, seating, speed and weight describe the aircraft type, not a specific airline configuration. Published figures vary by engine, weight option and cabin layout.

Read our aircraft specification sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner frequently asked questions

What is the range of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner?

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner has a published range of about 13,530 km, cruising at roughly 903 km/h. Real-world range depends on payload, winds and reserves.

How many passengers does the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carry?

A typical Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner seats 242–248 passengers, though the exact number depends on how the operating airline configures its cabin.

What is the ICAO type code for the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner?

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner uses the ICAO type designator B788. That is the code you will see when you click this aircraft type on a live flight-tracking map.

What engines does the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner use?

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is powered by 2× GEnx-1B / Trent 1000, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 227,930 kg and a wingspan of 60.1 m.

How do you identify a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner?

Look for the smoothly raked, upswept wings that flex visibly in flight, chevron-serrated engine nacelle trailing edges, a nose blended into a four-window cockpit, and oversized cabin windows; the -8 is the shortest Dreamliner.

Which airlines operate the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner?

Major operators in this reference profile include All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Qatar Airways. Fleets change as aircraft are delivered, stored, leased and retired, so confirm current fleets with the airline.

Is the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner a narrowbody or a widebody?

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is a widebody, meaning two aisles and a cabin built for long sectors. With 242–248 passengers seats and 13,530 km of range it is typically flown on intercontinental routes.