New 'super-efficient' Boeing jet to carry passengers this year after approval

A new "super-efficient" Boeing airliner will carry passengers for the first time this year after regulators cleared it for commercial service.

The multinational company will start deliveries of the 787-10 Dreamliner in the first half of 2018 after the Federal Aviation Administration in the US approved its use, concluding a flight test programme that saw three planes fly for 900 hours.    

The 330-passenger 787-10 “sets a new benchmark for fuel efficiency and operating economics,” Boeing claimed, reducing fuel and emissions per seat by 25%.

“After years of design and testing, our team has proven the quality, safety and reliability of the newest member of the Dreamliner family and we look forward to seeing the airplane in service later this year,” said Brad Zaback, vice president and general manager of the 787 programme.

The company already has over 170 orders for the plane from nine customers worldwide, with Singapore Airlines set to receive the first aircraft.