Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner jet took to the skies for the first time Tuesday, a relief to the U.S. aerospace giant that pins high hope on the new model in its competition with European rival Airbus.
The Dreamliner took off at around 10:30 a.m. local time (1830 GMT) at Paine Field near Boeing's plant in the western state of Washington, witnessed by some 25,000 people, including Boeing employees, executives of airlines, journalists and members of the public.
The test flight will last about four hours and see the aircraft landing at Seattle's Boeing Field. It is the beginning of a series of necessary
tests for the new passenger jet to obtain certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Boeing plans to deliver the first Dreamliner, which features wide use of lightweight new materials and hence more energy efficient, to Japan's All Nippon Airways in late 2010, more than two years behind the schedule.