(NaturalNews) The new 787 Dreamliner jet from The Boeing Company has become the fastest selling airliner in history, largely due to the company pushing it as a more environmentally sustainable jet.
The 787, Boeing's first new jet in more than 10 years, is constructed from lightweight, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic to allow greater fuel efficiency. According to the company, the Dreamliner uses 20 percent less fuel than other similarly sized aircraft.
In addition, the jet features raised cabin pressure and higher humidity to reduce symptoms such as headaches and itchy eyes; bigger windows that are dimmed electronically instead of with manual shades; sensors to automatically trigger turbulence-reducing measures; and specially treated engines to reduce noise pollution by up to 60 percent.
Boeing has already taken more than 600 orders for the 330-passenger plane from more than 47 customers, amounting to sales of more than $100 billion. The first deliveries will take place in May 2008.
"The Dreamliner is a step change in the industry," said Paul Charles, director of communications for Virgin Atlantic Airways. "It delivers for us with great fuel efficiency, cutting consumption by around 27 percent per passenger."
Virgin has ordered 15 Dreamliners, with the first four to be delivered in 2011, and has the option to buy another 20. The company will be using the planes to service new routes from London to Hawaii and Perth.
Airlines have increasingly come under fire recently for their contributions to carbon dioxide emissions and global warming, and Boeing is pushing the Dreamliner as a more eco-friendly jet. But not all environmentalists are impressed.
"This is a welcome step, because it's a significant improvement on what's gone before," said Richard Dyer, aviations campaigner for Friends of the Earth. "But we don't see this kind of improvement that often, and the growth in passengers completely overwhelms it."
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