This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on May 15, 2017

SEATTLE: Scoot, the low-cost medium- to long-haul arm of Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIA), will take delivery of four new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners fitted with crew bunks this year, which will serve the Singapore-Athens route starting next month and another long-haul destination to be announced later in 2017.

Scoot chief executive officer (CEO) Lee Lik Hsin said the airline is entering into its next phase of fleet expansion in preparation for its flights to destinations beyond the Asia-Pacific.

This includes four times weekly, non-stop service between Singapore and Athens, 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 for connecting traffic to support our long-haul services, and we are excited about the opportunities that we can tap into with our expanded fleet,” he told reporters during a handover ceremony of one of the 787-8s, dubbed Mous-Scoot-Ka after the popular Greek dish Moussaka, at Boeing’s Everett Delivery Centre here last Thursday.

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

The exclusive 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 SIA, which operates 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,” said Lee.

A 787-8, manufactured and assembled by the world’s largest aerospace company The Boeing Company, carries a list price of US$224.6 million (RM974.76 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.

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 complete this exercise in the second half of this year.