A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will touch down in New Zealand for the first time on Saturday.
The aircraft, which is currently operating as a Boeing test aircraft, will eventually join Air New Zealand’s 787-9 fleet.
The trip, which is contingent on weather and other test factors, would mark the international debut of the 787-9, the second and newest member of the 787 family.
The test aircraft is stopping in Auckland on its way to Alice Springs for hot weather testing.
Boeing chose Alice Springs Airport for testing because the location meets specific test requirements for both facilities and atmospheric conditions.
Boeing is on track to deliver the 787-9 to launch customer Air New Zealand in mid-2014.
With the fuselage stretched by six metres over the 787-8, the 787-9 will fly up to 40 more passengers an additional 555 kilometres using 20% less fuel and generating 20% fewer emissions than similarly sized aircraft.
