The Boeing 787 Dreamliner
is not the largest plane in the world. Nor is it the fastest. It
doesn't have on-board showers or full-size beds, nor can it lay claim to
the greatest range or sleekest entertainment system in the air.
But it will change the way we fly for decades to come. Boeing's latest
commercial airliner is several feet wider and longer than the 767, the
company's smallest wide-body (twin-aisle) jet, yet it's 20 percent more
fuel efficient. Given that fuel is the single greatest operating cost
for any airline, savings of that magnitude could return the industry to
profitability, and perhaps even usher in lower airfares for passengers.