Are we heading for a significant change in baggage on flights? The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved an increase in the maximum takeoff weight of the Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 787-10, giving airlines more flexibility to carry more passengers, cargo or fly longer distances.
In practice, the upgrade allows the 787-9 to carry about three additional tons of cargo or add more than 300 nautical miles (555 kilometers) of range, while the 787-10 gains about five tons of cargo or more than 400 additional nautical miles (780 kilometers).
| Photo: Reuters
The relief is for planes built since December 2025 and are already structurally capable of the higher weight, when airlines can activate the increase at the time of delivery or later. The increase in weights comes after Boeing developed an improvement specifically for long and ultra-long routes. Air New Zealand is expected to be among the first to put the upgraded 787-9 into service.