United Airlines ended a four month long grounding of the new 787 Dreamliner on Monday as the much maligned Boeing plane returned to service. United grounded their fleet of 787s after two 787s belonging to other airlines had experienced smoldering batteries, according to the Associated Press.
United Flight 1 left from Houston's George Bush Intercontinental en route to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport at 11 a.m. Monday with United CEO Jeff Smisek and Boeing CEO Jim McNerney on board.
"I'll tell you, Jim, it was a fairly expensive piece of sculpture to have on the ground so we're really delighted to have it up and flying," the Associated Press reported Smisek said to McNerney.
The 787 is a medium sized aircraft that has excellent fuel efficiency due to being so light in weight, the reason the plane was so eagerly anticipated in the aviation industry is its ability to fly very long routes, according to the Associated Press. The plane also contains high tech window and a system that is supposed to minimize turbulence, according to CNN.
United and Boeing may be concerned that the troubles the Dreamliner has had might give it a stigma among passengers. Brett Snyder, travel adviser for CrankyFlier.com, told CNN that it would be unlikely that passengers avoid the plane.
"The average everyday flier isn't looking at the specific aircraft type," Snyder said. "They're looking at the flight times and they're looking at the prices."
Another reason that people are excited about the plane is that the cabin pressure is supposed to be more humid and feel more comfortable. Cabin pressure in the 787 is meant to simulate being at an altitude of 6,000 feet instead of the industry norm of 8,000 feet, simulating a lower altitude increases the amount of oxygen a passenger takes in thus combating airsickness, according to CNN.
The most talked about feature of the plane is the window technology. Instead of relying on shades the Dreamliner allows passengers to control the tint of the window at the touch of a button. An energized gel within the windowpane can be activated to darken or lighten the window, according to CNN.
For now United will be using the plane in short domestic routes to ease their way into the longer international routes the plane was designed for, reports the Associated Press.
