Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner Gets FAA Approval

A long overdue new plane from Chicago-based Boeing is one step closer to taking flight. The airplane maker got word Friday from the Federal Aviation Administration that the new Dreamliner 787 is safe and in compliance with federal regulations.

Joe Schwieterman is a professor of transportation at DePaul University.

He said the Dreamliner is the most notable new plane to come out in decades.

"This is a real milestone for Boeing," Schwieterman said. "It had lots of delays, but this shows the project has reached where it needs to go and they've got a lot of airplanes on order. I think we'll see a bit of a surge in order activity now that it's truly airworthy."

Boeing's new 787 has been delayed for a variety of reasons for the past three years. The company has more than 800 orders for the light-weight, fuel efficient airplane. A Japanese airline says it wants to start regular service with the plane on Nov.1.