Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of the first 787-10 aircraft. 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 than other aircraft in the range, which allows it to carry about 40 more passengers or a total of 330 seats in a standard two-class configuration.
"It is an honour for us to be the world's first airline to take delivery of this amazing aircraft," said 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."
The aircraft is powered by the latest version of the Trent 1000, the Trent 1000 TEN (Thrust, Efficiency and New Technology), which incorporates new technologies and delivers higher thrust as well as increased efficiency. The engine contributes to the Dreamliner achieving 20 per cent greater efficiency than the aircraft it replaces, as well as halving the noise footprint of previous-generation aircraft.
Dominic Horwood, said: “We are very proud to have worked with Singapore Airlines and Boeing to deliver the engines for the latest version of the 787 Dreamliner. Today marks another important step forward in our relationship with two highly valued partners and we are excited to once again be celebrating an historic moment for this aircraft.”
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.
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.