Boeing has delivered its first 787-10 airplane to Singapore Airlines. The jet is the newest and largest member of the Dreamliner family and Boeing says it will set a new global standard for fuel efficiency.
About 3,000 people marked the milestone at Boeing’s facility in North Charleston, South Carolina where the latest 787 model is manufactured.
The 787-10 features a longer fuselage compared to other Dreamliners, which allows it to carry about 40 more passengers or a total of 330 seats in a standard two-class configuration.
“Work of art”
“It is an honour for us to be the world’s first airline to take delivery of this amazing aircraft,” said Mr. Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines, the 787-10 launch customer. “The 787-10 is a magnificent piece of engineering and truly a work of art. It will be an important element in our overall growth strategy, enabling us to expand our network and strengthen our operations.”
Singapore Airlines – through its subsidiary Scoot – already flies the 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners. With today’s delivery the group will be the first to operate all three Dreamliner models. Singapore Airlines has 68 additional Boeing widebody jets on order, including 48 additional 787-10s, and 20 of the new 777-9s.
The ‘Dreamliner effect’
Kevin McAllister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer, said: “This is a big day for all of us at Boeing and for our global supplier partners. We are thrilled to deliver the first 787-10 Dreamliner to Singapore Airlines, one of the world’s leading carriers. And we are honoured by Singapore’s partnership and trust, as reflected by their repeated orders for the Dreamliner.”
He added: “The 787-10 will extend the Dreamliner effect that we are seeing across commercial aviation as the 787’s superior passenger experience and unmatched fuel efficiency helps airlines open new routes and achieve significant fuel savings and emission reduction.”
Singapore Airlines plans to puts its 787-10s into scheduled service in May, with flights from Singapore to Osaka, Japan and Perth, Australia. Prior to the introduction of these services, the aircraft will be operated on selected flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for crew training purposes.
