Boeing 787-10, ready with General Electric engines

   

Boeing has yet to complete flight tests on the new 787-10 Dreamliner with General Electric engines, but has finished testing with Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC engines, a Boeing executive said today.
The US jet manufacturer announced on Monday that the US Federal Aviation Administration has certified the largest model of the fuel-efficient Dreamliner for commercial use.
The first delivery, to Singapore Airlines Ltd with Rolls-Royce engines, is scheduled for the first half of the year and will be used on medium-length routes in the Asia-Pacific region. United Airlines is expected to accept the first 787-10s with GE engines in the second half of the year.
"We are able to complete all flight tests required for first deliveries to Singapore and the Rolls-Royce family," Boeing 787 chief program designer Bob Whittington told reporters over a conference call, speaking from Seattle.

"There is a little more testing to be done for GE-powered aircraft."
The 787-10 has 95 percent of its parts in common with the mid-sized Dreamliner, the 787-9. The main differences are in the environmental control system, which is larger due to the airplane's longer length and higher passenger numbers, and in the landing gear, Whittington said.
The smaller 787-8 model, the first Dreamliner, has roughly 80% commonality with the 787-10 and has been slowed in sales as Boeing considers launching a "New Midsize Airplane" with 220-260 seats destined for the market between the 737 MAX 10 and the 787-8.
The 787-10 has seating for around 330 passengers and has a shorter range, at 6.430 nautical miles (11.910 km), than the other Dreamliners, but Whittington hasn't ruled out extending the range over time.
“We will continue to watch and see if the market needs a couple of thousand extra pounds of take-off weight and continue those studies,” he said.
The 787-10 has received 171 orders from nine customers, the largest of which is Singapore Airlines. It is similar in size to the Airbus SE A350-900 model, which seats around 325 passengers but has a longer reach.
It is expected that Qatar Airways will accept the first delivery of the largest A350-1000 Airbus next month.