Boeing’s hope for a more profitable future took off yesterday with the maiden flight of its much-delayed 787 Dreamliner, the company’s first new aircraft in 15 years.

The passenger aircraft finally soared into the steel-grey skies above Paine Field, outside Seattle, more than two and a half years behind schedule.

The test flight marks a crucial step in the development of the airliner, whose promise of increased fuel efficiency and comfort has attracted a record number of orders for an aircraft still at least a year away from flying with passengers on board.

Boeing’s credibility is at stake after the company was forced to announce five embarrassing test-flight delays and earlier this year wrote down $2.5 billion (£1.5 billion) in charges for the six-year programme.

The Dreamliner suffered problems with suppliers, a bitter strike by workers last year and design issues. Boeing announced the latest test flight delay in June after it discovered a potentially serious design flaw that required structural repairs.

The delays — and the wider slump in the aviation industry — have hit Boeing hard. The company lost $1.6 billion in the third quarter. Boeing said it hoped a successful first flight would begin to quell doubts over the future of airplane production at the company.

Jim Albaugh, chief executive, said: “We think this is going to be a very efficient airplane. It’s going to change the way people travel.”

The Dreamliner moved off from its parking bay near the hangar where it was assembled in Everett, Washington State, for its first flight. With thousands of cheering Boeing employees looking on, the light blue and white aircraft swung on to the runway and, after a brief delay, soared into the sky. Only a pilot and co-pilot were on board.

The airliner was scheduled to fly for five hours and undergo many tests before landing 40 miles away at Boeing Field, south of downtown Seattle.

Boeing, the world’s second-largest plane maker behind Airbus, believes that airlines like the concept of the mid-sized plane, which promises to excel at carrying 250 or so people very long distances. Boeing has a record 840 orders on the books, worth more than $140 billion, even after customers cancelled orders for 73 of the planes.

The new plane will provide passengers with a more comfortable cabin with better air quality and larger windows that can be dimmed at the touch of a button.

The Dreamliner uses a revolutionary design made up of composite materials, which make up 50 per cent of the primary structure. The materials are much lighter than the aluminum used to make the skin of traditional commercial aircraft.

The lighter structure allows the plane to consume 20 per cent less fuel than comparable aircraft, according to Boeing. Fuel efficiency has great appeal to airlines, which have been battered in recent years by the volatile costs. Additionally, composite materials do not suffer from fatigue and therefore require fewer maintenance checks, according to Boeing.

Yesterday’s test flight starts at least nine months of airborne tests on a fleet of six 787s 24 hours a day. Boeing said the first 787 should be certified and delivered to Japan’s All Nippon Airways in the last quarter of next year.

The company has spent more than $10 billion in research and development for the Dreamliner. There are three versions of the plane with varying capacities and ranges in the Dreamliner family: the 787-3, 787-8 and the 787-9. The planes have list prices of between $105 million and $205 million.