Boeing and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first B787-9 Dreamliner. ANA will become the world’s first airline to operate both the B787-8 and B787-9 variants of the Dreamliner family when the airline launches B787-9 services on domestic Japanese routes in August. With this delivery, ANA will have 29 B787s in its fleet, more than any other operator in the world.

“The 787 Dreamliner is a key element in our growth strategy and we are proud to be the first airline to fly both models of the 787 family,” said Osamu Shinobe, ANA president and CEO. “The new 787-9 will build on the exceptional efficiency of the 787-8 and will allow us to meet growing demand that is anticipated ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.”

The B787-9 has a fuselage which is stretched by six metres over the B787-8, and will fly up to 40 more passengers an additional 450 nautical miles (830 kilometres).