American Airlines is set to add the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to its base at John F. Kennedy International Airport, from which previously long-haul operations were exclusive to Boeing 777s. As a consequence, New York becomes American’s sixth base to operate 787s.
The carrier has scheduled the first Boeing 787 route from JFK to be a daily service to Delhi, India. The Dreamliners will be used on routes where less premium capacity is needed than the Boeing 777-300ER fleet offers.
Initially, 40 pilots will be assigned to the new base, including 20 capital and 20 first officer pilots. The opening of the new base coincides with the delivery of 30 Boeing 787-9s that will have a fairly premium cabin configuration.
The 787-9s in the traditional configuration are likely to be used on routes to Tokyo-Haneda, Tel Aviv and Delhi or high-demand European services during the summer such as Paris, Rome, Athens, and Madrid, among others. The premium 787-9s can be used at London Heathrow where there is greater demand for Business Class seats.
The 787-8s could be scheduled for routes where capacity decreases seasonally, to convert some seasonal services to year-round operation, or to open new routes to Europe and South America where demand does not justify a Boeing 777.
See also: American Airlines orders planes from Embraer, Boeing and Airbus
