Between April 1st and April 2nd, a brand new Singapore Airlines 787-10 Dreamliner made its way from Boeing facilities in Charleston to the airline's hub at Singapore Changi Airport. The aircraft is Singapore Airlines' 16th 787 but more notably, it's the first Dreamliner arriving at the airline since the pandemic took place.

Aircraft delivery flight details

According to FlightRadar24.com, the Singapore Airlines aircraft registered 9V-SCS took off from Charleston (CHS) on April 1st at 13:27 local time. The Boeing 787-10 has the manufacturer's serial number (MSN) 60268 and line number 1144.

According to BOE Family Flights, a total of six test flights were conducted prior to the delivery flight, with 10 hours and 28 minutes of test-flight-time logged. The aircraft's first test flight took place on February 20th, 2023 while its second would take place on February 23rd. Subsequent test flights would then take place throughout March.

In total, the delivery flight took about 20 hours and included a technical stop in Nagoya (NGO). This is longer than a delivery flight would have taken prior to 2022, as the aircraft had to avoid Russian airspace and use of the Siberian corridor. Prior to airspace bans imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, aircraft flying from the eastern United States would have flown over the Arctic Circle, across Canada, Russia, and China.

In the case of 9V-SCS, the aircraft had flown northwest, over Alaska, and across the Pacific to Japan with a refueling stop. The journey to Nagoya from Charleston took a little over 14 hours, while the flight from Nagoya to Singapore was a little over six hours in duration.

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First 787-10 since the pandemic

The last 787 delivered to Singapore Airlines prior to this weekend's delivery took place back in November 2019. This was the aircraft registered 9V-SCO, with MSN 60264 and line number 938. The devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by an extended delivery stoppage for Boeing Dreamliners, has resulted in the airline's 787-10 fleet size remaining static for several years.

Singapore Airlines first ordered the 787-10 back in 2013 and was actually the launch customer of the stretched Dreamliner variant. ch-aviation.com data indicates that the airline expects to have a total of 23 787-10s in its fleet, meaning that eight remain undelivered. Over the years, Singapore Airlines has adjusted its commitment to the 787-10.

By 2017, the carrier had expanded its order to 49 of the type. However, the airline reduced its order twice in 2021, going down to 29 and then again to the current 23. Some of these commitments were shifted to aircraft lessors, while others were moved and downsized to the airline's budget subsidiary, Scoot as 787-9s.

In addition to the undelivered 787-10s, Singapore Airlines is also expecting more passenger A350-900s for its mainline fleet, as well as the A350F for its cargo division. There will also be about 21 more 737 MAX 8s and 31 777-9s joining the passenger fleet in the years to come.

Have you flown on Singapore Airlines' Boeing 787-10 yet? Share your experiences by leaving a comment!

Sources: Planespotters.net, FlightRadar24.com, BOE Family Flights, ch-aviation.com

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  Singapore Airlines

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  SQ/SIA

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Singapore Changi Airport

  Year Founded:

  1972

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Goh Choon Phong

  Country:

  Singapore