Seattle, WA — Boeing is loaning its third 787 Dreamliner to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, a big win for the museum. The aircraft, painted in Boeing colors, is expected to arrive Nov. 8, said Museum of Flight spokesman Ted Huetter. The Museum of Flight may well be the first in the nation to receive a Dreamliner.
“It’s a big deal. This is definitely one of the breakthrough aircraft in commercial air travel,” he said. “To have one of those examples of original aircraft is significant, and it adds to our collection as we try to tell the story of commercial aviation … It’s a perfect fit.”
Boeing and museum officials were negotiating this week to determine how best to handle the handoff, and discussions have been underway since the beginning of the year, Huetter said. The deal to loan the plane to the museum hasn’t been finalized but Boeing has confirmed it plans to hand off the Dreamliner.
“It’s a big deal for us,” he said of the Dreamliner. “It will be a beautiful addition.”
Donating the aircraft is good for Boeing, too. This is one of the very earliest models of the 787, and the plane was so extensively modified that airlines haven’t wanted it.
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