Qatar Airways new Boeing 787 Dreamliner to fly from S'pore to Doha from Mar 31

SINGAPORE - Qatar Airways will be operating a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on its Singapore-Doha sector - the airline's first route in Southeast Asia to be using the 787 aircraft.

The route will start from Mar 31, 2014, and the B-787 will fly alongside Qatar Airways' existing fleet of Boeing 777s.

Travellers from Singapore will be able to enjoy the unique flying experience of the 787 to the airline's Doha hub, from which it also operates the same aircraft type to key cities throughout their network, including London, Oslo, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Jeddah, Munich, Riyadh, Delhi, Bengaluru, Dubai and Brussels.

"The introduction of the 787 aircraft to the Singapore-Doha sector, which is an important and strategic route for Qatar Airways, will redefine the in-flight experience for our Singapore-based passengers who travel to Doha and onwards to key destinations in Western Europe and the Americas. Qatar Airways is happy to be the first in the Singapore market to provide this unique offering to passengers," said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Mr Akbar Al Baker.

A Qatar Airways' 787 aircraft is on static display at the Singapore Airshow until Friday, Feb 14, 2014, where the airline is exhibiting here for the first time.

The Qatar Airways' Dreamliner boasts of features such as improved cabin pressure, dimmable windows and a more spacious seating configuration. It features 254 seats with 22 seats in Business Class in a 1-2-1 configuration that converts into fully-flat horizontal beds, and a 232-seating capacity in Economy Class in a 3-3-3 layout.

In Economy class, the leg space and seat recline is supposedly larger than most other commercial airlines. The maximum cabin width of 5.49m allows for ease of access through the aisles, especially for those with curvier hips.

The dynamic mood LED lighting lets your body clock adjust to different time zones with more than 20 specially tailored scenes and also generates less heat than conventional cabin lighting.

The dimmable windows are 30 per cent larger than other similarly sized airplanes, being 19 inches (48cm) in height and 11 inches in width. Those who are not sitting in the window seats can still look out at the view due to its unique design. Even when the overall cabin lighting is completely dimmed, passengers can still enjoy the view through a deeply tinted window without disturbing other passengers.

Cabin air in this aircraft is supposed to be cleaner than other commercial airplanes. Fresh air is introduced into the cabin via air scoops on the side of the fuselage. An additional gaseous filtration system also removes odours, irritants and contaminants - some of the primary contributors to throat, eye and nose irritation for passengers.

The cabin is pressurised to a maximum level of 6,000 feet - 2,000 feet lower than most other aircraft - this technology apparently helps passengers experience fewer headaches and less dizziness and fatigue as the body absorbs 8 per cent more oxygen into the blood at this altitude.

Qatar Airways' 787s also feature the award-winning iTouch touch control unit with more than 1,000 movies, programming and audio entertainment options, an iPort, USB port, remote data outlet and luxurious personal cabin storage space - all available to passengers in both Business and Economy classes.

Both the TV screens and the control units are touch-operated with the control units resembling mobile phones which make holding them more comfortable than regular in-flight control units.

There is an extra power point for laptops just under the armrest of each seat in Economy class for those who really need to use it.

Qatar Airways currently has nine Boeing 787 Dreamliners in its fleet of aircraft, with 51 more on order.

The airline currently operates 14 flights each week between Singapore and the airline's Doha base, from which it flies to 134 leisure and business destinations worldwide.

spanaech@sph.com.sg