• 787-8 Dreamliner
    Boeing
    Stock Code:
    BA
    Date Founded:
    1916-07-15
    CEO:
    Dave Calhoun
    Headquarters Location:
    Chicago, USA
    Key Product Lines:
    Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787
    Business Type:
    Planemaker

Since entering service in 2011, the Boeing 787 'Dreamliner' family has become a key part of many airlines' long-haul fleets. The UK sees its fair share of intercontinental flights, so it is unsurprising that several of its carriers operate Boeing's modern widebody. Let's take a look at the specifics of each operator's 787 fleet.

British Airways

The UK flag carrier has a mix of both Airbus and Boeing aircraft in its widebody fleet, with the US manufacturer being represented by the 777 and 787 families. What makes BA stand out among its other UK-based Boeing 787 operators is the fact that it flies all three variants of the Dreamliner. Indeed, according to data from ch-aviation.com, it has 12 787-8s, 18 787-9s, and two 787-10s at its disposal.

The short-fuselage 787-8s are British Airways' oldest Dreamliners, clocking in at 7.1 years on average. They seat 214 passengers in a three-class setup (154 World Traveller, 25 World Traveller Plus, 35 Club World). Meanwhile, its mid-size 787-9s are slightly younger, with these premium-heavy 216-seaters (127 World Traveller, 39 World Traveller Plus, 42 Club World, 8 First) being 6.2 years old on average.

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British Airways Boeing 787
Photo: Jake Hardiman | Simple Flying

BA's stretched-fuselage 787-10s are considerably younger, and, in fact, are just about the airline's youngest aircraft type overall, with an average age of 1.6 years. As well as the two that have been delivered, it has another 10 on order. They have 165 World Traveller, 25 World Traveller Plus, 48 Club World, and 8 First seats.

TUI

While BA's 787s are fitted with premium-heavy configurations, leisure carrier TUI opted for a more high-density approach when it came to outfitting its Dreamliners. Indeed, the leisure carrier's eight 787-8s, which are 8.5 years old on average, typically have 253 economy and 27 premium economy seats. However, ch-aviation also lists two examples as having one-class 325-seat layouts.

TUI also operates six examples of the mid-size 787-9, and has another on order. These twinjets are rather younger than their short-fuselage counterparts, and, with an average age of 3.8 years, they are TUI UK's youngest widebodies. Each seats 282 economy and 63 premium economy passengers (345 in total).

TUI Boeing 787 Getty taking off from Amsterdam
Photo: Getty Images

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Virgin Atlantic

From BA's three variants to TUI's two, we'll end on Virgin Atlantic's single-variant Dreamliner fleet. The carrier presently operates 17 examples of the Boeing 787-9, with their average age clocking in at 6.5 years old.

These aircraft feature a three-class setup, which consists of 192 economy class seats (nine-abreast), 35 premium economy recliners (seven-abreast), and 31 Upper Class flatbeds (three-abreast). Simple Flying recently had the chance to check out the latter of these cabins on a flight from London to Seattle.

Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 by gate
Virgin's 787-9s have two more seats than BA's 787-10s, due to the latter's premium heavy configuration. Photo: Jake Hardiman | Simple Flying

An honorable mention

When examining ch-aviation's data regarding British-registred Dreamliners, a fourth operator does also get a passing mention. Specifically, low-cost startup Norse Atlantic appears to have registered one of its Boeing 787-9s with a separate division known as Norse Atlantic UK. Registered as G-CKOF, this ex-Norwegian UK twinjet is presently in storage at Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY).

What do you make of the UK's Boeing 787 operators? How many of them have you flown with? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!