The final Boeing 787 Dreamliner to join the flight test fleet made its first flight Oct. 4 from Paine Field in Everett, Wash.
The final Boeing 787 Dreamliner to join the flight test fleet made its first flight Oct. 4 from Paine Field in Everett, Wash. Boeing
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It’s been a long road, one paved with delays (and sometimes sparks), but this week, Boeing’s enormous, lightweight, next-generation 787 Dreamliner airplane was officially approved by the FAA and will begin shipping late next month.

The 787 has been undergoing work for years now. Boeing doesn’t actually roll out all that many entirely new models: only eleven to date. The 787, in case you haven’t been reading our coverage, promises to be a lighter-weight (due to its carbon fiber body), more fuel-efficient, and more comfortable aircraft, with Boeing making improvements in everything from air quality to seating arrangements.

It’s had a rocky birth, with everything from smoke in the cabin to those aforementioned sparks getting in the way of this certification, but the FAA gave its blessing on Friday and Boeing says it’ll begin shipping the planes on September 26th.