( CNN ) -- A near all-black Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has been delivered to launch customer Air New Zealand , giving Boeing fans and aviation nerds a dramatic introduction to this latest model of the fuel-efficient plane . The head-turning aircraft , sporting a special edition , mostly black livery , was handed over to the carrier in Everett , Washington , with around 1,000 Boeing employees and Air New Zealand executives attending . `` It 's a big night for us all , seeing the plane come out of the hangar here , '' said Air New Zealand captain David Morgan . `` I 'm very excited to be able to get my hands on this aircraft and proudly fly it back to New Zealand . '' Newer = bigger . The 787-9 is 20 feet longer than its predecessor , the 787-8 , and can hold 40 more passengers . It also has a greater range of 8,000-8,500 nautical miles , compared to the 787-8 's range of 7,650-8,200 . `` Obviously with their geography they 're the perfect airline to really exercise this airplane -- they 'll really be able to use the amazing performance that the 787-9 has , '' said Boeing 's Mark Jenks , vice president , 787 Airplane Development . The manufacturer said it was on track to deliver 10 of the new planes to Air New Zealand by mid-year . Twenty-six customers have ordered 409 787-9s to date , accounting for 40 % of all 787 orders . Due to a lighter , composite body , the plane can operate on 20 % less fuel than other similar sized planes and offers design features such as larger , dimmable windows and in-cabin LED lighting . Flight routes . Air New Zealand will begin operating its 787-9 in October 2014 , flying from Auckland to Perth , Australia . In November it 'll begin flights from Auckland to Tokyo and Shanghai . The launch aircraft will offer 302 seats total , with the business premier cabin housing 18 lie-flat seats , a premium economy cabin with 21 seats and two economy cabins with 263 seats total . The plane will also have 14 Skycouch rows -- a design unique to the Kiwi airline that turns a row of three economy seats into a three-seater `` couch . '' The plane will arrive in Auckland this Friday , July 11 . Frances Cha contributed to this story .
Launch customer Kiwi took hold of the first 787 -9 Dreamliner on July 8 , 2014 . Aircraft featured a dramatic , limited edition , nearly all-black livery . Flights will begin in July 8 , 2014 from Auckland to Perth , and then Perth to Tokyo and Perth October 2014 .