United: First public Dreamliner flight will be Nov. 4

— -- United is flying its first 787 Dreamliner home to Houston today in preparation for its first commercial flights on a jet that its CEO says will save on fuel, grow its network and give passengers greater comfort.

United is the first airline in North America, and just the sixth in the world, to take delivery of the Boeing jet, which is made largely from lightweight composites.

The first flight to carry paying passengers will be on Nov. 4, from Houston to Chicago.

"We've been waiting for this airplane for about eight years, so it's a pretty big day,'' United CEO Jeff Smisek told reporters Thursday. "It's very fuel efficient. ... It will make routes that wouldn't otherwise be profitable, profitable. So it's a tremendous asset for us to have.''

United's Dreamliner ultimately will fly international routes primarily, but will kick off service ferrying passengers domestically between such United hubs as Chicago, Houston and Newark.

PHOTO GALLERY: United unveils its first Boeing Dreamliner

The new-age jet is touted for its revolutionary design and light weight, which will help cut fuel costs. It's also designed for greater passenger comforts, such as bigger windows and larger overhead luggage bins.

But the aircraft also is coming to United and other airlines nearly three years behind schedule because of production delays that plagued Boeing's introduction of the jet.

READ MORE:All about United's Dreamliner

United, which has ordered 50 Dreamliners, is expecting delivery of four more by the end of the year.

Despite the many delays, Smisek said he was confident the jets would arrive on schedule.

"I think Boeing has done a good job of getting the issues behind them, and they're ramping up production,'' he said. "We're pretty confident we're going to get a good solid set of deliveries.''