Boeing delivered the first of 14 787-8 aircraft to Qantas’ budget subsidiary Jetstar on 6 October.
The General Electric GEnx-1B-powered 787s will replace Jetstar’s Airbus A330-200s on long-haul routes. The Airbus twin-aisles will be returned to the Qantas fleet to replace Boeing 767-300s that are scheduled for retirement by the middle of 2015.
The 787 is expected to arrive at its Melbourne base on the morning of 9 October. It is to enter service on 13 November on the Melbourne-Cairns and Melbourne-Gold Coast routes for approximately four weeks, after which it will transition to long-haul routes.
The airline expects to have three 787s delivered by the end of the year and six in service by the end of 2014.
Jetstar's 787-8s are configured with 21 business and 314 economy seats.
"The entire Jetstar team is very excited to have the 787 take to Australia[n] skies,” says Jetstar Group chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka.
Additional reporting by Ellis Taylor in Singapore.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
