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KQ’s historic flight lands in New York. Here are six things you may not know about the plane

By THOMAS MATIKO October 29th, 2018 2 min read

Kenya Airways maiden direct flight to the United States touched down at the JF Kennedy International Airport on Monday at 1:25pm local time (5:25 am New York time).

Kenya now becomes the eighth African country with direct flights to the US, joining Senegal, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, Cape Verde and South Africa.

Here are some interesting facts about the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that may not know.

1 Fuel Efficiency
The Dreamliner is Boeing’s most eco-friendly airliner. It is designed to be 20% efficient than any other aircraft of similar size. It is the latest model of the Boeing and was designed to replace the Boeing 767.
A flight from Nairobi to New York on Boeing consumes 85,000 liters of fuel one way.

2. Has largest windows whose brightness is adjustable
The size of the windows on the Dreamliner are the largest of any airplane to date. According to the manufacturer, the plane’s window is 65% larger than any other similar sized airplane.

In addition, instead of pulling shades up and down, customers can actually adjust the brightness of the windows with a button. With the uses of electrochrominc dimming system the windows turn from fully transparent to completely dim in gradual process.

3. Lighter and easier maintenance
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, like the 787-9 and 787-10 models, has been designed with strong, lightweight composites, the most advanced systems which increases its efficiency which include reduction on weight based maintenance and fees.

Damages to composites are also easier to be spotted and minor repairs can be done in less than an hour

4. Less turbulence
The Dreamliner has unique Smoother Ride Technology features which constitutes of ‘smart sensors’ that detects turbulence and automatically adjust the wing control surfaces for a smoother ride

5. Cleaner Cabin Air to reduce jet lag
The Boeing 787 has been built with the same technology used to purify air in hospital operating rooms.
The high tech air purifying system removes contaminants and odors that can cause throat irritation.
Besides that, Boeing has features which will make passengers feel like they are breathing at 6,000 feet above sea level rather than the 8,000 feet above sea levelof most similar size aircraft. This helps to reduce jet lag, headache and fatigue.

6. Long Haul Direct Routes
Boeing Dreamliners have made longer direct journeys more feasible. Initially a flight of 11,849kilometers from Nairobi to New York would take up to 22 hours with layovers in Europe and Middle East.
However the 787-7 Dreamliner has now shaved that by 7 hours taking 13 hours from Nairobi top New York