Singapore Airlines’ low-cost offshoot Scoot could be flying its advanced Boeing 787-9s to Sydney and the Gold Coast as early as April.
The move from Scoot’s current ageing Boeing 777-200 jets to the all-new Dreamliners will be a substantial upgrade with the Boeing 787 offering a quieter and smoother ride with more comfort and less jetlag.
The airline has also outfitted its new planes with new business class seats and inflight Internet.
Speaking on the sidelines of Scoot’s inaugural Boeing 787 flight from Seattle to Singapore, Scoot CEO Campbell Wilson told Australian Business Traveller that the exact timetable was dependent upon Boeing’s delivery schedule and could end up as May rather than April.
“We can’t give specific dates yet because we simply don’t know, and to be fair to Boeing, they also don’t know because there’s lots of parts coming from lots of places,” Wilson said.
“Boeing’s delivery calendar (gives) a roughly two-week window when you know the aircraft will arrive, and it’s only firmed up to be a specific date 30 days before delivery.”
Sydney will be served by the third Boeing 787 to join Scoot’s fleet, with the fourth plane earmarked for the Gold Coast.
Scoot expects to be flying an all-Dreamliner fleet around the middle of this year, with its new Melbourne-Singapore route also seeing the Boeing 787 in November.
Scoot’s first Dreamliner makes its debut today on TZ8 from Singapore to Perth – expected to touch down in the mining capital at 6:15pm local time before returning to the Lion City an hour later as flight TZ7.
Chris Chamberlin travelled to Seattle as a guest of Scoot and Boeing.
Source : Australia Business Traveller
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