Metro Airport Welcomes Its First Boeing 787 Flight (Video)
By Edward Cardenas
ROMULUS (CBS Detroit) - A new era in air travel began Monday as a Royal Jordanian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner landed at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
This was the first time the 787, which features cutting edge amenities for the 270 passengers the plane can carry, has landed at Metro.
"We are very proud that Royal Jordanian has this hi-tech aircraft," said Zyad Jaradat, regional director for North America and Canada for Royal Jordanian. "It shows Royal Jordanian's concern about giving the best service and the best aircraft to serve our North American routes."
Jaradat was at Metro Monday to greet the flight from Amman, Jordan, which had a stop at Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) before arriving at its destination in Detroit.
Royal Jordanian flies two flights weekly between Detroit and Amman. The airline will fly the Detroit to Amman route - with a stop in Montreal - during the winter. Come summer, the airline will offer direct flights between Detroit and Amman.
Previously, the airline flew an Airbus plane on the route. By switching to the Dreamliner, the airline is using 20 percent less fuel and saving nearly an hour in flying time.
Additionally the plane features new amenities in all classes that include LED mood lighting, larger windows which have dimming technology, bigger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, airline officials stated.
And for those trans-continental flights, passengers will be able to utilize the TopSeries Avant System, which provides in-flight entertainment with high-definition video on 17-inch screens in Crown Class and 10.6-inch touchscreens in Economy.
The new planes also provide nearly 30 percent more cargo capacity than the current airplanes of the same size, which allow for increased cargo revenue.
"Royal Jordanian offers a real important service to us to the Middle East," Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Authority CEO, Thomas Naughton. "(The Middle East and Amman, Jordan) is an important market for this region. We are constantly looking at ways to grow that service out of Detroit."
Last week Royal Jordanian received its fifth, advanced generation 787 aircraft, which completed the first group of its Dreamliner order.
