BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft, the latest and longest model of the 787 family, has completed its maiden flight, according to Boeing China on Saturday.
The Boeing 787-10 has completed a successful maiden flight totaling four hours and 58 minutes after taking to the skies from the Boeing South Carolina plant on March 31 local time, said Boeing China.
"The 787-10 will give carriers added flexibility in growing their network routes and build on the overwhelming success of the 787 Dreamliner family," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister.
The plane performed tests on flight controls, systems and handling qualities during the maiden flight. It will also undergo comprehensive flight testing.
The 787-10 has received 149 orders from nine global customers. Its customer deliveries will begin in the first half of 2018, according to Boeing.
The 787-10 Dreamliner airplane, 68.2 meters in length, is capable of carrying 330 passengers in a two-class configuration.
The 787 Dreamliner family is a key part of Boeing's twin-aisle airplane strategy. Since entering service in 2011, the 787 family has flown more than 152 million people around the world.
As of February 2017, orders on 787 Dreamliner airplanes from Chinese customers had exceeded 120.
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