Dreamliner takes first Aussie domestic flight
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Jetstar CEO, Bruce Buchanan with the Dreamliner’s flight crew
Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner today touched down in Melbourne on its first domestic Australian flight from Sydney. The new aircraft, which was carrying a VIP delegation including Jetstar’s CEO Bruce Buchanan, was welcomed in Melbourne by Victoria’s Minister for Aviation, Gordon Rich-Phillips.
Jetstar will become the first Australian carrier to operate the Dreamliner when deliveries start in mid-2013. It will also be the world’s first low-cost carrier to use the new aircraft.
“Jetstar is a Melbourne-born company that is successfully exporting its low fares know-how to other markets around the world,” Buchanan said. “We’re proud to call Melbourne home and our team based here will coordinate the entry of this innovative aircraft into our fleet.”
Rich-Phillips added that several key components for the Dreamliner would be manufactured in Melbourne by Boeing Aerostructures Australia.
“The Dreamliner is at the cutting edge of aircraft design and our involvement in manufacturing parts for the aircraft is testament to Victoria’s world class aerospace and aviation capabilities,” he said.
Between them, Qantas and Jetstar have ordered 50 Dreamliners. The LCC will operate the new aircraft on long-haul routes from Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast to Bali, Bangkok, Phuket, Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore and Honolulu.