Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-10, becoming the first airline to receive the newest variant of the 787 family.

The aircraft was delivered to the airline at the Boeing South Carolina facility in North Charleston and flown to Singapore via Osaka. SIA now has 48 more on firm order.

SIA intends to operate its 787-10s on flights of up to eight hours, with Osaka and Perth being the first scheduled destinations from May 2018, after training flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

“It is an honour for us to be the world’s first airline to take delivery of this amazing aircraft,” said Goh Choon Phong, CEO of Singapore Airlines. “The 787-10 is indeed 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. The delivery of the first 787-10 underscores our longstanding commitment to operate a modern fleet, and marks the start of a new chapter in our shared story with Boeing.”

SIA is the largest customer of the 787-10, which is 68 metres long and is the largest variant of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner range of aircraft.

“This is a big day for all of us at Boeing and for our global supplier partners,” said Kevin McAllister, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “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 Airlines’ partnership and trust, as reflected by their repeated orders for the Dreamliner. 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.”

SIA’s low-cost subsidiary Scoot already flies both the 787-8 and 787-9. With the new delivery the group becomes the first to operate all three models.

Singapore Airlines also has 20 777-9s on firm order, due for delivery from the 2021-22 financial year.