While the first ever 787-10 rolled out back in February, that aircraft's mission was to go through the rigorous tests that new aircraft must pass to become certified, which it is still undergoing. It will eventually be retrofitted for customers and end up in regular passenger service. The one that rolled out od Charleston Tuesday will be the first to enter service.
Built for 787-10 launch customer Singapore Airlines, the aircraft still needs to be painted and undergo "system checks, fueling, and engine runs," a Boeing statement said, before it's ready to be delivered "in the first half of 2018." This will be the first of 30 aircraft on firm order by the airline, with a letter of intent to purchase another 19. SQ plans to put its new jets in service on regional routes in Asia and to Australia, which can still get quite long. The 787-10 has a maximum range of 7,400 miles or 11,900 km, according to Boeing.
Stretched 18 feet longer than the Boeing 787-9, this 787-10 will offer 14% more seats than the -9 and 36% more than the original 787-8. Boeing boasts that the aircraft will offer "25 percent better fuel per seat and emissions than the airplanes it will replace."
So far, Boeing notes that the 787 family has:
- flown more than 190 million people
- flown on more than 560 unique routes around the world
- saved an estimated 18 billion pounds of fuel
Can't get enough of the 787-10? Check out all of our articles on the new aircraft:
- Boeing Debuts 787-10 at South Carolina Factory
- Watch Boeing Assemble Its First 787-10 Dreamliners in South Carolina
- Stretched Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner Makes Maiden Voyage
- Our First Look Inside Boeing’s Extended-Length 787-10 Dreamliner
- Watch Boeing’s 787-10 Dreamliner Fly Alongside a 737 MAX 9
A previous version of this story indicated that the first 787-10 to enter service was the one currently conducting flight tests. That is incorrect, and the story has been amended.
