Boeing employees crowd the tarmac as the company's 787 Dreamliner taxies down the runway before its maiden flight at Paine Field, December 15, 2009. Boeing Co completed the first test flight of its new lightweight carbon and titanium Dreamliner, but the flight was cut short because of bad weather. The flight was more than two years behind schedule because of manufacturing and design problems. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    EVERETT, the United States, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner jet took to the skies for the first time Tuesday, a relief to the U.S. aerospace giant that pins high hope on the new model in its competition with European rival Airbus.

    The Dreamliner took off at around 10:30 a.m. local time (1830 GMT) at Paine Field near Boeing's plant in the western state of Washington, witnessed by some 25,000 people, including Boeing employees, executives of airlines, journalists and members of the public.

    The test flight will last about four hours or less and see the aircraft landing at Seattle's Boeing Field. It is the beginning of a series of necessary tests for the new passenger jet to obtain certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner accelerates down the runway while taking off on its long-waited first flight at Paine Field In Everett, Washington. More than two years late, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner jet took to the skies Tuesday, in a critical milestone for the problem-plagued aircraft seen as key to the US aerospace giant's future.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Boeing plans to deliver the first Dreamliner, which features wide use of lightweight new materials and hence more energy efficient, to Japan's All Nippon Airways in late 2010, more than two years behind the schedule.

    Boeing said that the 787, which can carry up to 330 passengers, will provide new solutions for airlines and passengers.

    The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly sized airplane and Boeing has announced that as much as 50 percent of the primary structure on the 787 will be made of composite materials.

    According to numbers released in November, Boeing has received 840 orders of 787 from 55 customers worldwide with a total value of 141 billion U.S. dollars, making it the most successful launch of a new commercial airplane in the company's history. 　

Boeing test pilot Mike Carriker (R) and first officer Randy Neville speak to the media after landing the 787 Dreamliner at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington after its maiden flight, December 15, 2009. Boeing Co completed the first test flight of its new lightweight carbon and titanium Dreamliner, but the flight was cut short because of bad weather. The flight was more than two years behind schedule because of manufacturing and design problems.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

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