BA Dreamliner completes inaugural London-Toronto flight

Passengers travelling on British Airways’ newest luxury aircraft may have arrived half an hour later than expected at Toronto’s Pearson airport Sunday — but at least they did so in comfort.

The airline’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down at 3:24 p.m. and completed its inaugural long-haul flight between London Heathrow and Toronto.

The 214 passengers on board enjoyed improved air quality, mood lighting, and quieter cabins.

“I’m normally not able to sleep on planes,” said 18-year-old Sa’ad Dawood. “But on this one I did for the first time ever — it was whisper quiet.”

The difference in background cabin noise was particularly noticeable having just travelled on an older Boeing 777 aircraft from Bahrain to England, he said.

Development of the new Dreamliner has been years in the making. Plans for the Sonic Cruiser — which was intended to travel near the speed of sound — were dropped in December 2002 by Boeing who instead opted for efficiency over speed.

Composite materials which make up 50 per cent of the Dreamliner’s structure, means the aircraft uses 20 per cent less fuel than similar-sized commercial jets.

And at a time when gas prices are at a premium, airlines are looking to save money wherever they can. Boeing has received more than 80 requests for new Dreamliners in 2013 alone, the bulk of which have been ordered by American Airlines and Singapore Airlines.

Dawood’s mother, Sumaira, said she’d been nervous before boarding the plane at Heathrow because of problems that have plagued the Dreamliner in the past. Boeing’s entire Dreamliner fleet was grounded earlier this year after an onboard fire in Boston and an emergency landing in Japan.

“But everything was fine; the flight and cabin crew were great,” she said.

Sumaira Dawood was also amazed by the technology used in the windows that allow passengers to darken them with a switch, in lieu of a traditional pull-down shutter.

“The Dreamliner really is a technological marvel,” said BA’s North American head of marketing, John McDonald. “The air quality’s better, so our passengers arrive feeling refreshed and energized.”

“And we chose Toronto as the destination to christen the Dreamliner because the city’s a thriving business and cultural hub,” he said.

A second route to utilize the new aircraft will begin in October, between New York and London.

British Airways plans to add 24 new Dreamliners to its fleet over the next four years as part of the airline’s $5-billion investment in improving its service.