Spotted: Royal Jordanian’s new Boeing 787-9 sports striking livery on maiden flight
March 10, 2026
Royal Jordanian’s first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has finally taken to the skies, ahead of a repeatedly revised entry into service.
Photos shared on X by aviation photographer BoeingSCSpotter show the aircraft returning from its maiden flight. The aircraft dons the airline’s updated livery, which was first unveiled in 2024, across newer aircraft types.
The design retains the airline’s distinctive charcoal grey, red, white and gold trim on the fuselage, refines the gold crown motif on the tail, and adds branding elements, including a belly logo.
The post described it as the airline’s first 787-9 completing its initial test flight.
The first 787-9 for Royal Jordanian returning from her maiden flight. Love this livery on the Dreamliner #JYRBA pic.twitter.com/rqBn3Jc5Ks
— Devin (@BoeingSCSpotter) March 8, 2026
The Dreamliner is a key part of the airline’s long-haul expansion plans, but its debut has been pushed back and revised multiple times, with at least one of the newly planned routes still in question.
New Royal Jordanian 787-9 Dreamliner entry into service repeatedly shuffled and pushed back
Royal Jordanian initially planned to introduce the new Boeing 787-9 as early as February 2026, with schedules showing service on routes including Amman–Paris as the debut flight.
According to the preliminary schedule published by AeroRoutes on 27 July 2025, the flights initially planned were (in order of introduction):
- Amman – Paris Charles de Gaulle from 1–9 February 2026
- Amman – Istanbul on 12 February, 15 February, and 23 March 2026
- Amman – Bangkok Suvarnabhumi beginning on 21 March 2026
In the schedule, AeroRoutes stated that changes remained “highly possible.” Indeed, those plans soon changed.
London and Jeddah in and Paris Out
By 1 September 2025, the airline adjusted its Boeing 787-9 launch plans, including a complete revision of the dates of operation and destinations. Paris no longer showed as the debut flight, replaced by two first flights to Jeddah and London. AeroRoutes updated its listing showing:
- Amman – Jeddah, effective 1 February 2026, with “various flights” planned
- Amman – London Heathrow with the first flight planned for 1 February 2026, followed by one weekly flight from 23 February 26 through 28 March 2026
- Amman – Baghdad from 2 February through 25 February 26, with 2-3 weekly flights (shifting to 3 weekly flights from 20 March – 25 March 2026)
- Amman – New York JFK from 3 February to 26 March 2026, 3 weekly flights
- Amman – Madinah flights operating on 4 February and 18 February 2026
- Amman – Cairo with the first flight on 8 February, followed by one weekly flight from 1 March to 22 March 2026
- Amman – Dubai from 22 February to 13 March 2026, operating one weekly flight
London still has the debut as cities shuffle and dates change
The operational timeline shifted again earlier this year. According to schedule updates published by AeroRoutes on 16 February 2026, the aircraft is now expected to enter service no sooner than early April 2026.
The latest planned 787-9 operation shows the following routes:
- Amman – London Heathrow beginning 7 April 2026
- Amman – Madinah launching 8 April 2026
- Amman – New York JFK beginning 9 April 2026
- Amman – Dubai effective 10 April 2026
- Amman – Bangkok Suvarnabhumi effective 16 April 2026
- Amman – Montreal – Toronto Pearson beginning 2 May 2026
- Amman – Washington Dulles effective 3 May 2026
- Amman – Chicago O’Hare beginning 5 May 2026
- Amman – Jeddah beginning on 14 May 2026
- Amman – Baghdad operating on 1 July 2026 and 27 August 2026
- Amman – Istanbul launching on 12 September 2026
Given the uncertainty for commercial airline operations in the Middle East, amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, the airline’s launch dates to destinations in the Gulf region, including Dubai, are in question.
Royal Jordanian’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is central to its fleet modernisation
Royal Jordanian already operates seven Boeing 787-8 aircraft, with an average age of 10 years. The airline has ordered six larger 787-9s as part of its fleet renewal strategy.
The new variant will provide additional capacity and range compared with the airline’s current Dreamliners, allowing the Amman-based carrier to strengthen long-haul routes to North America, Europe and Asia.
Royal Jordanian is refurbishing its Boeing 787-8 fleet with in-flight WiFi and upgraded cabin interiors, as part of a program to align the aircraft with the standards of its incoming 787-9 Dreamliners.
Royal Jordanian’s updated passenger experience
According to data from aeroLOPA, the current Royal Jordanian Boeing 787-8 fleet offers two classes of service with 24 “Crown Class” business-class seats built on the Collins Diamond Parallel seat model, configured 2-2-2. Economy class features 246 Collins Aerospace Pinnacle seats, configured in a 3-3-3 layout.
The airline has not yet unveiled the cabins of its new Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Still, some details have leaked through unofficial channels. A seat map showing 309 seats (31 business, 278 economy) has previously circulated online.
A single photo of the new Boeing 787-8 business class cabin appeared in a Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Instagram post in September of last year, announcing the airline’s plans to launch services with its retrofitted Dreamliner aircraft.
The image appears to show a 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone business class, which could be Collins Aerospace Elements seats. Since the airline is retrofitting its 787-8 fleet to meet the passenger experience standards of its new 787-9s, it will likely install the same seats on both aircraft types.
What may be delaying the Royal Jordanian Boeing 787-9 aircraft
The repeated revisions to Royal Jordanian’s Boeing 787-9 launch schedule suggest the aircraft’s delivery is running behind, delaying its commercial debut.
Delays involving premium cabin seats have become a recurring issue across the commercial aviation industry. Certification bottlenecks and supply-chain problems at seating manufacturers have extended the timelines of aircraft deliveries and cabin retrofit programs at several airlines. Whether these issues have also contributed to delays in the launch of Royal Jordanian’s new 787-9 Dreamliners is unknown.
Boeing’s Dreamliner program has also faced several delivery disruptions in recent years, including manufacturing quality inspections, supply-chain shortages and certification bottlenecks affecting cabin components. These have delayed deliveries to multiple airlines and forced some carriers to adjust their fleet plans.
A long-awaited Dreamliner arrival
The first 787-9, having completed its maiden flight, appears to be nearing delivery, bringing Royal Jordanian closer to finally introducing the long-delayed type into commercial service.
The images captured by BoeingSCSpotter offer a glimpse of the aircraft’s visually striking livery, a treat for aviation enthusiasts. Still, the aircraft’s interior and its final launch schedule are yet to be officially confirmed.
Featured Image: Boeing
