Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Singapore Airlines has celebrated the delivery of the first 787-10 airplane, the newest and largest member of the Dreamliner family and a jet that 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.
Like the other 787 Dreamliners, the 787-10 is designed with strong, lightweight composites, the most advanced systems, and comfortable cabin features. The 787-10, though, features a longer fuselage which allows it to carry about 40 more passengers or a total of 330 seats in a standard two-class configuration.
With the additional capacity, the 787-10 provides airlines the lowest operating cost per seat of any widebody airplane in service today.
“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.”
Goh added that “the 787-10 underscores Singapore Airlines’ longstanding commitment to operate a modern fleet, and marks the start of a new chapter in our shared story with Boeing.”
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.
“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 honored by Singapore’s partnership and trust, as reflected by their repeated orders for the Dreamliner,” said Kevin McAllister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer. “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.”
The 787-10’s superior performance and high commonality with its Dreamliner siblings have attracted strong interest from around the world, including in Asia where the jet can connect all points within the region. The 787-10 also offers Asian operators the flexibility to fly to Europe, Africa and Oceania.
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.
About the 787 Dreamliner family
The 787 Dreamliner is an all-new, super-efficient family of commercial airplanes that can fly long distances while offering 20 to 25 percent better fuel efficiency per seat and lower emissions than the airplanes they replace. The combination of long range and low operating costs allows airlines to operate more flights profitably.
Since 2011, more than 640 Dreamliners have entered service, flying more than 230 million people on more than 680 unique routes around the world, saving an estimated 23 billion pounds of fuel.
As a stretch of the 787-9, the 787-10 retains over 95 percent commonality while adding seats and cargo capacity, setting a new benchmark for fuel efficiency and operating economics at 25 percent better fuel per seat and emissions than the airplanes it will replace.