American Airlines receives first Boeing 787 Dreamliner

American Airlines (AA) -- the largest carrier in the world -- received on Friday its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner which landed at northern Texas' Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport after a long flight from Boeing's production line in Washington state.

The airplane will enter commercial service in the second quarter of this year, the airlines said, adding that it will fly domestically between American's hubs for weeks before being launched on international flights.

"We are committed to delivering a fantastic product for our customers with the continuation of our unprecedented fleet renewal program and more than 2 billion U.S. dollars in improvements in the customer experience," the carrier's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Doug Parker said.

"The 787 makes our fleet younger and more modern...," said Parker.

In 2008, the airlines signed a 5 billion U.S. dollar contract to buy 42 Boeing 787s with options for another 58. The delivery of the first aircraft was scheduled for September 2012, but was delayed several times.

American Airlines is now the second U.S. carrier to have a Dreamliner in its fleet after United Airlines.

Headquartered in Fort Worth, northern Texas, the airlines has over 600 aircraft in service and more than 450 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing on order.

Currently, the airlines operates nearly 6,700 flights to 339 destinations in 54 countries and regions every day.

The 787 Dreamliner can carry between 210 and 330 passengers and it offers features such as greater fuel efficiency. Regulators around the world grounded Boeing's Dreamliner fleet for months in 2013 when battery-related problems with the model were under investigation. Endi