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.

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>>>

    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 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.

    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.

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