It's official: the long-awaited Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" now is in the hands of its first airline operator, ANA. As with the industry fervor over the giant Airbus A380's debut a few years ago, the 787 comes with new claims of comfort and efficiency. Now that Boeing has the delivered the airplane, can the 787 deliver on its promises?

ANA is now the first airline to receive and operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The 787 is a very large airplane but not the largest. It boasts several features designed to make flying more enjoyable and comfortable, but it's ultimately up to the airline to provide a quality passenger experience. What makes the 787 so ground-breaking is that airlines finally have a plane that can go as far (or farther) than the largest available planes with just the right capacity to keep the planes full on those long-distance flights. The plane is 20 percent more fuel efficient than a Boeing 767 and it is created using composite materials for the majority of its exterior. But what passengers seem most interested in are the features not seen on a commercial aircraft until now.

The 787 has some aesthetic elements that are already available on other new planes, such as interior LED "mood" lighting. But some features are unique to the 787. Bigger windows offer a 30 percent larger view of the outside that can be darkened with the touch of a button thanks to an electro-chromatic element embedded in the window. No more shades. New technology will make the environment inside more comfortable for passengers according to Boeing. The pressure will be set to what passengers are used to closer to the ground and the air will be slightly more humid. Additionally, the former technology known as "bleed air" will not be used by the 787, practically eliminating the possibility of outside engine fumes or lubricant vapors entering the cabin environment.

ANA, Japan's largest airline, has announced routes and schedules for the first of its 787 aircraft. According to an airline press release, "the Boeing 787 will be used for a new overnight service connecting Haneda and Frankfurt. Initially three flights a week (Monday, Thursday, Saturday), it is planned to operate the flights daily from February 2012." The airline adds: "Ahead of the Haneda-Frankfurt service, the Boeing 787 will be installed on the Haneda-Beijing route in December, 2011, marking the aircraft's first regular international service. The Dreamliner will fly the route approximately once a week, until the Haneda-Frankfurt service starts the following month."

Below is a table featuring ANA's initial route plans for the 787:

October 26-27, 2011	World's first passenger flight, Narita-Hong Kong
October 28 and 29, 2011	Excursion flights departing from and landing in Narita
November 1, 2011	First regular domestic flight, Haneda-Okayama; Haneda-Hiroshima service to start on the same day
December 2011	First regular international flight, Haneda-Beijing
January 2012	First long-haul international flight, Haneda-Frankfurt
By end of fiscal 2011	Regular domestic flights Haneda-Itami, Haneda-Yamaguchi Ube, and Haneda-Matsuyama