Unless you see it in person, it’s hard to describe the genuine outpouring of emotion and excitement surrounding the 787 Dreamliner’s first visit to Japan.
The Dreamliner touches down in Osaka.
As it made its way from Tokyo to Osaka for the first part of our week-long SROV activities, people began lining up for the chance to see the airplane the entire country has become attached to. The line of fans— young and old— snaked around the terminal at Itami Airport.
The excitement builds in Osaka as crowds line up to see the 787 for the first time.
After the 787 landed for validation testing with crews from Boeing and launch customer ANA, the crowd stood for hours on the observation deck under a sometimes blazing sun just to see the airplane.
Boeing and ANA crews begin SROV activities in Osaka.
After about four hours of SROV work, the 787 headed back to Tokyo with the pilots waving at the crowd through the cockpit windows. There’s no doubt the same scene will repeat itself when the airplane heads for Osaka’s Kansai airport, Okayama and Hiroshima later this week.
One day before the flight to Osaka, ANA welcomed the Dreamliner with a celebration inside one of its hangars in Tokyo’s Haneda airport. As hundreds waited inside, the massive hangar doors were opened to reveal the airplane decked out in ANA livery.
The Dreamliner makes a grand entrance during a ceremony in Tokyo.
The 787’s door was then opened to reveal Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh and ANA CEO Shinichiro Ito, who shook hands and waved to the crowd. During his remarks, Ito said “the Dreamliner was worth the wait.”
The CEO’s of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and ANA shake hands after coming off the 787.
Everyone from Boeing who made the trip over to Japan couldn’t be more thrilled to see this moment come. For many, it has been a labor of love. And for our customer ANA and the people of Japan, the love affair has just begun. By the way, we’re covering SROV with a special feature page all week on newairplane.com. Click here to check it out.
A warm welcome at Haneda Airport.
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