SEATTLE (May 12): Scoot, the low-cost medium-to-long haul arm of Singapore Airlines Group, is set to receive a total of four new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners fitted with crew bunks this year, as the budget airline stands ready to kick-start its long-haul services to Athens, Greece next month. 

 

According to Scoot CEO Lee Lik Hsin, the low-cost carrier (LCC) is entering its next phase of fleet expansion in preparation for its flights to destinations beyond Asia Pacific.

 

This includes non-stop flights between Singapore and Athens four times weekly, as well as direct services to another long-haul destination to be announced later this year.

 

"Our extensive footprint in the region provides us with a good base of connecting traffic to support our long-haul services, and we are excited about the opportunities that we can tap with our expanded fleet," he told reporters during the handover ceremony of a 787-8 aircraft, dubbed Mous-Scoot-ka at Boeing's Everett Delivery Centre in Seattle, yesterday.

 

Scoot, which took delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in February 2015, currently has 14 Dreamliners in fleet and six more on order. 

 

The exclusively-787 Dreamliner operator has a growing network comprising 23 destinations, including Sydney, Gold Coast, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, Perth and Osaka.

 

Lee is also the CEO of Budget Aviation Holdings Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, which operates its LCCs, namely Scoot and Tigerair.

 

The sister airlines currently have a presence in the Asia Pacific with a combined network of 59 destinations over 16 countries.

 

"Our vision of serving not just passengers in the region, but also those beyond, is being realised with (the delivery of) Mous-Scoot-ka and its fellow crew-bunk-fitted 787 Dreamliners that will be joining our fleet this year," he said.

 

Notably, Mous-Scoot-ka was named after the popular Greek dish Moussaka. At the time of writing, the newest Dreamliner had departed from Snohomish County Airports and it is scheduled to make a landing at Singapore Changi Airport on Friday evening.

 

It is learnt that a 787-8 aircraft, manufactured and assembled by the world's largest aerospace company The Boeing Company, carries a list price of US$224.6 million.

 

The four Dreamliners, which have been installed with overhead crew rests with six-bunks, are each able to accommodate 329 guests with 18 in the ScootBiz section. 

 

The long-haul flights will be crewed by a team of 10 to 11 cabin crew members, who would receive their mandatory rest during the flights.

 

Currently, Scoot operates the world's first all-Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet to medium-to-long haul destinations, while Tigerair offers short-to-medium haul flights on its Airbus A320-family aircraft from Singapore. 

 

Following the integration of Scoot and Tigerair in May last year, the two airlines have been working towards the operation of services under a single Scoot brand and are expected to compete this exercise in the second half of this year.