KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which will be operated on the Amsterdam – Abu Dhabi – Bahrain service.

The B787-9 complements and extends the B787 family. With the fuselage stretched by 6 meters over the B787-8, the new aircraft can fly up to 20 percent more passengers and 23 percent more cargo. It has a three-class configuration, including 30 lie-flat seats in World Business class; 48 seats in Economy Comfort zone; and 216 Economy seats.

“We are very proud to welcome our first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner,” says KLM president & CEO Pieter Elbers. “This aircraft symbolizes a new phase in the future of KLM. Investment in our customers is one of our priorities. This efficient aircraft is part of that investment. It’s a testimony to the great work of 33,000 KLM employees, who are committed to giving their best for our customers every day.”

In addition to this delivery, the Air France-KLM Group has 19 B787-9s and six B787-10s on order and will lease 12 B787s through aircraft leasing company AerCap. www.klm.com