Relax - SIA in talks on 787's delivery

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DESPITE reported manufacturing glitches in Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, Singapore Airlines said it is still in talks with the plane maker on the delivery of the 20 aircraft the airline ordered in 2006.

Responding to queries from my paper, a spokesman for the airline said: "We remain in discussions with Boeing on the delivery dates of our B787s."

He added that the option of purchasing an additional fleet of 20 planes of the exact same model remains open, although the airline "has not exercised its rights" to do so yet.

Earlier this month, Boeing said it was inspecting the 787 Dreamliner for possible production flaws related to the carbon- fibre composite structure of the plane.

The issue surrounds structural stiffeners, known as shims, that were found to be improperly attached to the composite skin of the plane.

See also:
Boeing 787 Dreamliner lands in Singapore for this first time

But Mr Mark Jenks, vice-president of the Boeing 787 development team, said yesterday that this "frustrating" issue is unlikely to affect the company's plans to increase its production of the Dreamliner jets.

Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the Singapore Airshow this week, Mr Jenks explained: "Clearly, it's frustrating, and we'd rather it not happen.

"These kinds of things... really aren't that different from the problems we always have to face when we ramp up production."

Each Dreamliner can cost about US$200 million (S$249 million), according to reports last year.

The company intends to increase its output from the current two or three planes a month to at least 10 by the end of next year.

So far, it has received 870 orders from 59 countries and it aims to start delivery by 2014. The Dreamliner is currently in Singapore, as part of an outdoor static display for the Singapore Airshow.

Depending on its configuration, the plane can carry up to 290 passengers on non-stop, long-haul flights.

Its spacious cabins feature ambient mood lighting that can be calibrated to reduce the negative effects of jetlag.

The windows of the plane are larger than current ones by between 30 and 50 per cent. They can also be adjusted electronically to control the amount of light entering the plane.

The plane also has a special air-purification system that eliminates odours.

The public can view the Dreamliner at the Changi Exhibition Centre during the Singapore Airshow on Saturday and Sunday.

More features:

- The Dreamliner uses a gas filtration system that continuously purifies the air to remove any odours within the plane to keep it fresh throughout the flight.

- The cockpit features a glass Head-Up Display that allows pilots to maintain their watch on both the display as well as outside during flight.

- The plane is made up of composite materials like carbon-reinforced plastics, making it lighter than conventional aircraft that use metal.

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