Singapore-based low-cost carrier Scoot has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 during a ceremony held at the manufacturer’s delivery centre in Everett.

The aircraft, registered as 9V-OJA and named 'Dream start' (MSN 37112), departed Everett on 31 January, and will arrive in Singapore on the morning of 2 February. It will then enter commercial service on 5 February, flying from Singapore to Perth and Hong Kong.

Scoot 787-9 Seattle

Scoot 787-9 face first

Ellis Taylor/Flightglobal

Scoot’s 787-9s are configured with 375 seats, comprised of 340 economy-class seats and 35 premium ‘Scoot Biz’ seats. They are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.

The airline plans to take delivery of six 787-9s by August, which will replace its fleet of six 777-200s. In addition, it will take three 787-8s by the end of the year, and plans to have an all-787 fleet of 11 aircraft by March 2016.

Thereafter, the carrier will take delivery of two or three aircraft per year until early 2019, when it will have received all 20 on order.

Scoot chief executive Campbell Wilson says that the new aircraft is a major benefit to the airline’s long-term strategy.

“Because of the lower fuel burn and the design that has been put into reducing the maintenance operation, it dramatically improves the economic baseline of the airline,” he told reporters.

Flightglobal’s Ascend Online Fleets database shows that Scoot’s 787s were originally ordered by parent company Singapore Airlines in 2006. In 2012 the order was novated to the budget carrier, and later modified to 10 -9s and 10 -8s.

Source: Cirium Dashboard