PHOTO: Hainan Airlines becomes China's latest Boeing 787 Dreamliner operator

After posting a story about Hainan Airlines doing ‘armpit sniff’ tests on pilots earlier this week, I thought the Chinese carrier would benefit from more positive coverage on TheAviationWriter.com.

After all, we’re talking about a five-star airline (according to Skytrax at least) with a much better reputation than the ‘armpit sniffing’ story might actually suggest!

Thankfully, Boeing delivered the first Hainan Airlines 787 Dreamliner yesterday… an exciting milestone that should overshadow the previous story, right?

No official photos from Boeing yet, however Flickr user MoonM managed to snap the Hainan Airlines Dreamliner earlier, so I have included that image on this page.

The airplane, which is the first of 10 Dreamliners for Hainan Airlines, was described as the “the most technologically advanced and fuel efficient airplane in the world” by Mu Weigang, vice chairman of Hainan Airlines.

"The 787 will allow Hainan Airlines to open new routes from Beijing to North America and provide our unique 'Eastern-style' five-star in-flight experience for global passengers,” he stated in a press release.

Hainan Airlines will first operate the Dreamliner on a domestic route from Beijing to Haikou. Thereafter, the airline will deploy the 787 on its North America routes, increasing the frequency of its Beijing-Seattle, Beijing-Toronto and Beijing-Chicago services, with several new destinations.

So, how has Hainan Airlines configured its Dreamliner? Well, the interior consists of 36 full, flat-bed business seats configured in rows of 2-2-2, as well as 177 economy seats configured in rows of 3-3-3.

What are your thoughts on the latest 787? How does it compare to others, such as British Airways and China Southern Airlines? Leave your comments below and sign-up to The Aviation Writer’s FREE newsletter for the latest aviation photos, videos and stories! Click here to register.