Japan Airlines (JAL) has revealed the first four international routes to be flown with its Boeing 787s, although the carrier now expects first delivery of the aircraft will slip to February.

While JAL is still discussing delivery dates with Boeing, President Masaru Onishi says the initial aircraft will likely arrive in mid-February. JAL previously said this would occur in December. The carrier will be the first to take delivery of the GE-powered version of the 787.

JAL forecast it would receive five 787s during its current fiscal year, which runs through the end of March, but now has lowered this projection to four aircraft.

The airline already announced that it would use the 787 for a new Tokyo Narita-Boston route, beginning April 22, although this may not be the first route for the 787. Onishi says the aircraft also will be used on three other existing international routes, beginning in the spring. These will be flights from Tokyo Narita to Moscow and Delhi, and from Tokyo Haneda to Beijing.

Onishi says the additional three routes were chosen because they are medium-sized in terms of demand and have a substantial percentage of business travelers. The 787s probably will not completely take over from the 777s currently serving these routes.

Author :  Adrian Schofield