Is Boeing 787 better than Airbus?

The Bottom Line: The Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-9 are very similar aircraft, suited for similar missions. As one would expect, the slightly larger A350-900 has a seat-mile cost advantage, while the 787-9 has an advantage in cost per block hour. These aircraft are competitive, and nearly tie in economic performance.



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Boeing aircraft often incorporate more tactile feedback and manual controls in their cockpit systems, which appeal to pilots who prefer a traditional flying experience. Airbus planes emphasize automation and computerized systems, reducing pilot workload but offering less hands-on control.

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The 787 was the first major commercial aircraft to use carbon fiber composite components in the fuselage and wing construction. These make the aircraft lighter but still offer high strength. New, more efficient engines. The 787 is designed to take either the General Electric GEnx or the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine.

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The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has revolutionized flying for both passengers and pilots. Taking a leap into the future from its predecessors, the designers incorporated a number of new features that make the Dreamliner one of the most fuel efficient and comfortable aircraft in the skies.

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Cross-Model Similarity. Airbus emphasizes commonality across its aircraft models, meaning that pilots can more easily transition between different Airbus aircraft. This approach benefits airlines by reducing training time and costs. Boeing's aircraft, in contrast, have more variation in cockpit design and systems.

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Historically, Boeing has been considered more reliable and safer than Airbus.

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The Boeing 787 is known to be a more comfortable and efficient aircraft than the 747, especially for long-haul flights. There are objective differences between both planes. The 787 has newer engines, two fewer of them and more electrical (rather than hydraulic) systems, which means much less cabin noise.

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Because the 787 is pressurized at about 6,000 feet rather than 8,000 feet, you'll breathe easier. More oxygen in your lungs means better sleep, less chance of headache, no difficulty breathing (flying at altitude is like sleeping at a ski resort).

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While passengers love the experience in the back, it's also a great place for the pilots to work. A number of features on the aircraft set it apart from other aircraft types. So, even when your working day can be 19 hours long, I'd much rather be doing it in a Dreamliner than any other type.

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Also known as the Dreamliner, the Boeing 787 is revered for having helped kick off the current generation of air travel, building upon the twin-engine, long-range revolution.

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This is quite probably the reason for the popularity of the mid-sized Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which offers its operators a very useful balance of both range and capacity. This mirrors the Boeing 737 MAX family, whereby the MAX 8 model (which is the second-largest of four variants) is by far the most popular version.

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Airbus single aisle aircraft such as the A320 have a wider fuselage compared to the Boeing 737. This allows for a seat that is 18” in width, giving you more comfort. Also, having a wider fuselage allows for a wider aisle and this allows better flow when moving to another seat, the lavatory or galley.

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For the first quarter of 2022, Airbus had earnings of €1.26 billion ($1.34 billion) while Boeing lost $1.22 billion. Airbus reported total revenue of €12 billion ($12.7 billion) compared to Boeing's $14 billion.

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Emirates operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft and is one of the few airlines to operate an all-wide-body aircraft fleet (excluding Emirates Executive).

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The Bottom Line: The Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-9 are very similar aircraft, suited for similar missions. As one would expect, the slightly larger A350-900 has a seat-mile cost advantage, while the 787-9 has an advantage in cost per block hour.

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To combat the sound of jet-blast from the rear of the engine, Boeing, General Electric, and NASA developed serrated edges called chevrons for the back of the nacelle and the engine exhaust nozzle. The chevrons reduce jet blast noise by controlling the way the air mixes after passing through and around the engine.

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The Dreamliner is a successful aircraft, still in production with more than 1600 delivered or on order. The list price for a new Boeing 787-8 is $239 million dollars. Yet even as international travel opens again for these long-range aircraft, two Dreamliners barely ten years old are waiting for the wrecker's ball.

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We can see that the smaller variants of the 787 have a better range than the larger 787-10. In fact, the mid-sized 787-9 even outranks the A380. However, in terms of the comparison to the larger 787-10, the A380 appears, on paper, to be the more flexible aircraft on account of its longer range.

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