Industry Saudi Arabian Airlines receives first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner

Saudi Arabian Airlines has become the latest operator of the largest 787 family variant. The 787-10 will see the carrier to expand its network. According the airline, the 787-10 will play a key role in this expansion. It will also complement the existing fleet of 13 787-9s.

His Excellency Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Director General, SAUDIA said: “SAUDIA operates a state-of-the-art fleet equipped with the latest technology, and in addition to the airline’s existing Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, is now adding the 787-10 variant which will further support future network growth plans [...] The airplane’s onboard cabin features, long range capability and the latest in technological advancements are among the many aspects of what makes the Boeing 787 highly popular with our guests.”

“SAUDIA has been a valued partner with Boeing for nearly 75 years and this delivery marks another major milestone in our partnership. Our team takes great pride in building and delivering quality aircraft to SAUDIA and we are honoured by the continuing confidence in the 787 Dreamliner and 777 families,” added Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, The Boeing Company. “The addition of the 787-10 to SAUDIA’s fleet will continue the superior inflight experience that passengers have come to expect of the Dreamliner. Moreover, the unmatched fuel efficiency of the 787 will help SAUDIA open new routes and achieve significant fuel savings and emission reduction.”

Saudia continues to expand its global presence with this latest aircraft variant in its fleet. The carrier currently flies with a Boeing fleet of 14 Dreamliner and 33 777-300ER jets. Over the past years, Saudia has opened new routes to destinations around the world.

The carrier will also use Boeing Global Services´ digital solutions to optimize the performance of its 787 fleet.

Boeing´s 787-10 is gaining more presence on the long-haul market as well. To date, more than 30 of this variant have been delivered to seven operators. Last year, the aircraft celebrated its entry into service. In comparison to the 787-9, the -10 seats 40 more passengers in a two-class configuration. It offers 25 percent better fuel per seat and fewer emissions than older-generation aircraft.

The aircraft is capable of flying with a range of 6,345 nautical miles (11,750km). The 787-10 can fly more than 95 percent of the world´s twin-aisle routes, stated Boeing. Overall, the global 787 fleet has enabled airlines across the globe to open more than 234 new point-to-point routes.

Saudi Arabian Airlines is the national carrier of Saudi Arabia and is based in Jeddah. The airline was founded in 1945 and has become a member of the SkyTeam alliance. The fleet currently consists of 46 Airbus A320s, 15 A321s, 41 A330s, 13 747s, 47 777s and 14 787s.