HAIKOU, China, July 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hainan Airlines Co., Ltd. (Hainan Airlines, stock code: 600221) formally took delivery its first 787 Dreamliner aircraft on 7 July at 11 a.m., when the plane (code-named B2722) successfully landed at Haikou Meilan International Airport. With the delivery completed, Hainan Airlines becomes the second Chinese airline with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner as part of its fleet. At the welcoming ceremony, Hainan Airlines simultaneously kicked off the "Fly Your Dreams" program, during which the airlines will hand out hundreds of 787 Dreamliner air tickets to graduating college students and model workers as well as randomly selected romantically-engaged couples and ordinary citizens free of charge, providing an unparalleled flying experience for the lucky recipients.
"Water Gate" Welcoming Ceremony for the 787 Dreamliner, Green Technology Improves the Onboard Experience
At 11 a.m., the long-awaited 787 Dreamliner aircraft appeared as a great majestic bird in the distance, grabbing the attention of all present. The golden yellow silhouette of the craft glistened against the azure blue of the sky moments before passing through the "water gate," washing off the dust accumulated during 13 hours of flight. At last, the plane glided to a smooth stop on the spacious parking apron.
Captain Theodore V. Shropshire of Boeing said at the ceremony, "We are excited to witness the maiden flight of Hainan's first 787 Dreamliner. Boeing remains committed to providing efficient and safe aircraft and technical support for Hainan Airlines. We look forward to more planes from Boeing joining Hainan Airlines' fleet."
Boeing 787, one of the world's most technologically advanced and forward thinking civil aircraft, is highly regarded for its excellent performance, innovative design and low-carbon footprint. The aircraft uses composite materials to increase efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. It features cleaner, healthier air due to a new gaseous filtration system that removes odors and irritants, lower cabin altitude, 30% larger windows with an electrochromic dimming system that allows passengers to change the tint of the window from fully transparent to completely dimmed, as well as larger overhead bins compared to similar-sized airplanes, providing a whole new passenger experience.
Hainan Airline's first two Boeing 787 Dreamliners will initially be used on three domestic routes: Beijing-Haikou and Beijing-Shanghai, and then, following a three-month trial operation along these routes, will become available for North America's medium- and long-haul international flights including Beijing-Chicago, Beijing-Seattle and Beijing-Toronto, further enhancing Hainan Airlines' global competitiveness. Hainan Airlines' first 787 will initially be used on the Beijing-Haikou route, sparking a tourism boom between Hainan and Beijing during the summer travel peak season.
Applause broke out when Boeing presented the key which symbolizes the Boeing 787 to Hainan Airlines president Liu Lu. "We received the key to the 'Aviation Dream' of transforming Hainan into an international tourism destination, the 'Chinese Dream' of bringing about a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the 'Hainan Airlines Dream' of becoming a model-of-excellence world-class company, heralding the addition of the 787 Dreamliner to Hainan Airlines' fleet as the airline embarks on a new journey," Liu Lu enthusiastically exclaimed.
Kicking off the "Fly Your Dreams" Program with the Boeing Dreamliner
Hainan Airlines celebrated its 20th anniversary this year while also launching the "Fly Your Dreams" program. The arrival of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft marked the start of Hainan Airlines' journey to a new dream.
After the delivery ceremony, Liu Lu announced the start of the 2013 Hainan Airlines 787 "Fly Your Dreams" program. Lin Tao, Deng Xiaogang the leaders from the government of Hainan province and Li Xianhua, the CEO of HNA Group, stepped on stage and inserted a key into a globe, jointly launching the program.
The program, broken down into five individual segments themed "Student Dream Comes True," "Travel Dream Comes True," "Romance Dream Comes True," "Flying Dream Comes True" and "North American Dream Comes True" will send hundreds of free 787 flight passenger tickets to students from low-income homes who have participated in the recent college entrance exam; locally-based Party members who have performed "above and beyond"; model laborers; air travel aficionados; long distance couples; and ordinary citizens. The program will allow students to travel to their colleges, model laborers to visit Beijing, ordinary citizens to fulfill their dream of flying for the first time, air travel enthusiasts to experience the new 787 and long distance couples a chance to reunite. Passengers can participate in Hainan Airlines' " Fly Your Dreams " program by visiting the company's official website at www.hnair.com, following Hainan Airlines on the company's official microblog on Weibo and its official chat account on China's instant voice messaging app We Chat.
Afterwards HNA's vice president Huang Qijun handed out the first batch of round trip air tickets between Haikou and Beijing to Hainan-based model workers, who will take the maiden voyage 787 flight to Beijing, realizing their travel dreams.
"Hainan Airlines' first 787 Dreamliner will take its first commercial maiden voyage on July 11. The most important mission of this flight is for the airline to achieve its dream plan and realize that dream through the 787 Dreamliner, while providing a safe and comfortable onboard experience for each traveler achieving their own personal dream by being on the flight," Liu Lu added.
Excellent Five-Star Services Lends Perfection to the 787 Dream Flight
A Boeing 737-800 made the airline's first maiden flight between Haikou and Beijing 20 years ago, and now the airline has chosen another Boeing model, the new 787, to upgrade this route. The airline has continuously added aircraft, from a mere two when the route was first launched, to over 120 craft today. In those 20 years, Hainan Airlines has successively added over 100 Boeing planes to its fleet, becoming an important partner of Boeing in China. The Hainan Airlines' fleet is now providing 500 routes connecting nearly 90 cities around the world. Hainan Airlines plans to upgrade the overall quality of the fleet through the introduction of more advanced models, expand the route network, consistently add routes to meet customer demand and help with China's economic and social development as the airline and the country continue to modernize. The 787 Dreamliner addition to the fleet is another step in the airline's efforts to perfect its five-star level of services and create the ideal flying experience for passengers through its advanced aviation technologies and design concepts.
Sixteen "787 Dream Angels" sporting Hainan Airlines' grey uniforms made an appearance at the ceremony, and were awarded "Golden Wing" hair accessories by the company. The accessories each have the number "787" embedded in the design, a design which looks like a pair of wings, representing the goodwill behind the realization of Hainan Airlines' "Golden Dreams."
The "Dream Angel" crew was selected from more than 3,000 Hainan Airlines crewmembers, and flew on the airline's first 787 Dreamliner from Charleston, South Carolina in the U.S. to Haikou Meilan International Airport as the plane was being delivered. Each selected crewmember has clocked in thousands of hours of in-flight experience and was chosen for their excellent service skills. Hainan Airlines, by combining its special five-star services with the personalized design of the Boeing 787 aircraft, will enable passengers to partake of an onboard experience akin to a "golden dream."
In the cabin of the Boeing 787, a flight attendant from the "Dream Angel" crew briefly introduced the customized design of the passenger cabin. With bright red, the representative color of the Chinese nation and its people, as the dominant color, the layout and design of the entire cabin demonstrates Hainan Airlines' service positioning and brand image as the "The Beauty of the Orient." The roomy cabin features 213 seats, the lowest number among all the 787 Dreamliners delivered into China. The 36-seat business class cabin is configured in a 2-2-2 layout, with full flat-bed seats and a wide 2.4-meter (95-inch) space separating each seat. The 177-seat economy class cabin with a 3-3-3 seating layout features upgraded seats providing a higher level of comfort. The entire aircraft is equipped with individual 15-inch in-flight entertainment screens and easy access to power supply ports. USB ports are provided in the business class cabin. The newly-designed and lavishly equipped lavatory facilities fully embody the quality goals of Hainan Airlines' five-star services.
Meanwhile, Hainan Airlines has developed a set of brand new services for passengers on the Boeing 787 aircraft. During the first week following the maiden flight, every passenger will have the opportunity to enjoy special "Golden Dream" welcome drinks as well as "Dream Cookies" specially supplied for 787 Dreamliners. The cookies will also contain "fortune cookie" messages designed to amuse passengers. In addition, Hainan Airlines offers specially produced 787 Series postcards as part of the "Post Office in the Air" onboard service, enabling passengers to send their messages while airborne and to truly experience the fun of being in flight while partaking of Hainan Airlines' five-star service.
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