Jetstar’s Dreamliner on its way

Jetstar will take delivery of its new Boeing Dreamliner this week, becoming the first low-cost carrier in the South Pacific to receive the aircraft.

Following a five-year delay, the first of 14 new high-tech 787-8 Dreamliners has left the Boeing factory in Seattle, bound for Australia, the Herald Sun reported.

Qantas and Jetstar chief executives Alan Joyce and Jayne Hrdlicka attended the departure ceremony in the United States, after which they boarded the aircraft with a group of Australian journalists to journey with the Dreamliner to Melbourne.

The 787-8 Dreamliner is expected to begin services from mid-November, following certification by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Jetstar plan to replace all its current Airbus A330s with the new Boeing aircraft by the end of 2013.

The 787 Dreamliner has suffered a range of problems since its inception, such as now-solved lithium battery fires, fuel pump issues and other difficulties.

In related news, Boeing will deliver the first 787-9 Dreamliners to Air New Zealand by mid-2014, while GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) has ordered 10 Dreamliner 787-10s.

Sourced: etravelblackboardasia