Boeing Confirms 787-10; First Delivery Scheduled for 2018

Boeing has launched the third member of the 787 family, the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner.

Customer launch commitments for the 787-10 include Air Lease Corporation with 30 airplanes; GE Capital Aviation Services with 10; International Airlines Group / British Airways with 12 subject to shareholder approval; Singapore Airlines with 30, and United Airlines with 20 airplanes.

The new 787-10 will fly up to 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km) - covering more than 90% of the world's twin-aisle routes - with seating for 300-330 passengers, depending on an airline's configuration choices.

The second member of the family, the 787-9, is in final assembly in Everett, Wash., and is set to make its first flight later this year.

"The 787-10 Dreamliner will be the most-efficient jetliner in history. The airplane's operating economics are unmatched and it has all the incredible passenger-pleasing features that set the 787 family apart as truly special," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. "The 787-10 is 25% more efficient than airplanes of its size today and more than 10% better than anything being offered by the competition for the future."

Design of the 787-10 has already started at Boeing, while final assembly and flight test of the 787-10 are set to begin in 2017, with first delivery targeted for 2018.

The 787-10 will share a common type rating not only with the 787-8 and 787-9 but also with the Boeing 777, giving airlines additional flexibility in scheduling and training flight crews.