All Nippon Airways (ANA) commenced operations of the next-generation flagship Boeing 787-10 on domestic routes on March 27. This marks the first time a Japanese airline has operated this model on domestic routes, serving major trunk routes between Tokyo/Haneda and cities such as Sapporo/Chitose, Osaka/Itami, Osaka/Kansai, Fukuoka, and Okinawa/Naha. The debut flight was a round trip between Tokyo/Haneda and Sapporo/Chitose.
The 787-10 model is the longest variant in the 787 series, with a total length of 68.3 meters. The cabin configuration includes 28 premium class seats and 401 economy class seats, totaling 429 seats and identified as ’78K’ on the booking screen. This seat count is larger compared to the current mainstay, the 777-200 model, though approximately 20% less than the 777-300 model.
The first aircraft (registration number: JA981A) arrived at Haneda Airport from Boeing’s factory in Charleston, USA, on the night of March 20, with the second aircraft (registration number: JA983A) following on the night of March 24.
The inaugural flight, NH59 from Tokyo/Haneda to Sapporo/Chitose, took off at 10:18 AM using the first aircraft. Before departure, a unique scene was captured where the standard -8, the longer -9, and the longest -10 variants of the 787 series were aligned at Haneda, with the 787-7 (registration number: JA838A) and 787-9 (registration number: JA937A) models parked at adjacent spots, showcasing the complete lineup.
ANA announced the introduction of the 787-10 model as the successor to the 777 models in February 2020. It plans to incorporate a total of 11 aircraft by fiscal year 2026, gradually replacing the current fleet of 777 models. According to ANA, the third and fourth aircraft are expected to arrive by the end of March and early April, respectively.
