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Low-cost carrier Scoot will celebrate the new year with Boeing 787-9 services to Hong Kong and Perth from its Singapore hub.
Scoot has brought forward its inaugural Dreamliner flights to January 1 2015, according to the Airline Route website. Previously, the Singapore Airlines-owned carrier was due to start replacing its six Boeing 777-200ERs with 787-9s from March 29 2015.
Scoot chief executive Campbell Wilson said recently the airline planned to receive its first 787 in November, with the Dreamliner to replace all six 777-200ERs by the middle of 2015.
The airline has 20 Dreamliners on order – 10 787-8s with 335 seats and 10 787-9s with 375 seats. Its 787s will have wifi internet connectivity for a fee, as well as in-seat power throughout the cabin.
Scoot is likely to be the third Dreamliner operator to Perth – Air New Zealand was using the 787-9 daily from Auckland, while Thai Airways currently operated the smaller 787-8 from Bangkok.
However, Thai was scheduled to pull the Dreamliner off Perth from October 25, with Airbus A330s to return to the route.
Perth was the sixth Australian airport to receive 787 services alongside Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, Gold Coast and Brisbane.
Scoot’s rollout of the 787 on the rest of its route network was unchanged from previous advice, with Sydney switching over to the Dreamliner on March 29, Bangkok on April 27 and the Gold Coast the following day.
Services to the Chinese cities of Tianjin, Qingdao and Shenyang were due to be transitioned to the Dreamliner in late May.
Sydney was Scoot’s inaugural route when it launched operations in June 2012.
