Boeing has officially announced the largest variant of the Dreamliner yet, the 787-10. So what will this mean for customers? Well it’s larger. That’s the “big” difference. The 787-10 is built to hold 330 passengers in a two class configuration versus 290 for the 787-9 and 242 in a 787-8. It’ll also hold about 15% more cargo than a 787-9 or nearly 40% more than the original Dreamliner. But with this added weight comes less range.
The first Dreamliner has a range of 7,355 nautical miles, the larger 787-9 is rated for slightly longer routes at 7,635 nmi but the 787-10 will only travel up to 6,430 nmi. This means that most of the benefits with the 787-10 seem focused on airlines and less on the passenger experience. Still look for this new larger variant to be a hit with heavily trafficked regional routes withing Asia. This is especally true where air freight is a significant driver for airlines.
“What’s happening here at Boeing South Carolina is a true American success story,” said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and CEO. “In just a few short years, our team has transformed a greenfield site into a modern aerospace production facility that is delivering 787s to airlines all over the world and supporting thousands of U.S. jobs in the process.”
The 787-10, built exclusively at Boeing South Carolina, will now be prepared for its first flight in the coming weeks.
“This airplane, the most efficient in its class, is the result of years of hard work and dedication from our Boeing teammates, suppliers and community partners in South Carolina and across the globe,” said Kevin McAllister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. “We know our customers, including launch customer Singapore Airlines, are going to love what the 787-10 will do for their fleets, and we can’t wait to see them fly it.”
Boeing will deliver the 787-10 to airlines in 2018. The airplane has won 149 orders from nine customers across the globe. The 787 Dreamliner family is a key part of Boeing’s twin-aisle strategy. Since entering service in 2011, the 787 family has flown more than 140 million people on 530 routes around the world, saving an estimated 13 billion pounds of fuel.