Royal Brunei Airlines Receives Its First Boeing 787

Royal Brunei Airlines, the flag carrier of the Sultanate of Brunei, has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner – the first for an airline based in Southeast Asia.

Royal Brunei Airlines’ first Boeing 787 takes off on October 2, 2013 on its 6,540-nautical mile (12,112-kilometer) non-stop delivery flight to Brunei International Airport, which serves the country’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan

The Boeing 787-8 departed Paine Field in Everett, Washington on the evening of October 2 for a 6,540-nautical mile (12,112-kilometer) non-stop flight to Royal Brunei Airlines’ base at Brunei International Airport (IATA code BWN), which serves the country’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan.

“This exciting addition keeps passenger comfort and high-quality service at the heart of our airline and is yet another effort to ensure our fleet remains modern and offers peaceful and tranquil travel,” says Dermot Mannion, chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines.

In the Boeing 787, composite materials making up 50 per cent of the primary structure, including the fuselage and wing. This allows the Dreamliner to use 20 per cent less fuel and emit 20 per cent lower CO2 emissions than similarly sized, previous-generation aircraft.

Royal Brunei Airlines’ first Boeing 787 is scheduled to begin flying regionally to Singapore on October 18, with long-haul service to London Heathrow Airport via Dubai set to begin on December 1.

The carrier expects to deliver on its promise of operating all its long-haul services with Dreamliners in the second quarter of 2014, when it will introduce the 787 on flights to Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city.