Singapore Airlines’s new Boeing 787-10 arrived at Changi International Airport in Singapore on March 28 to showcase a new two-class cabin product the airline plans to offer customers on its regional/mid-haul routes.

Boeing formally handed over the airplane—the first 787-10 ever delivered—to SIA on March 25 during a ceremony at its production facility in North Charleston, South Carolina. One of 49 Boeing 787-10s on order with SIA, the twin-aisle jetliner departed the following day for the journey to Singapore.

SIA Group will become the first to operate all three 787 models, but Singapore Airlines itself will fly only the -10 while SIA’s Scoot operation continues to fly the -8 and -9.

SIA pilots trained in the weeks leading to the delivery ceremony, and SIA will fly the aircraft to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for crew training purposes before it enters service in early May on initial routes to Osaka, Japan, and Perth, Australia.

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong, who traveled to South Carolina for the delivery ceremony, outlined expansion plans for regional routes, or flights up to eight hours. “It is a very efficient aircraft for us to operate,” Goh said. “It is capable of making a lot of missions that previously weren’t viable.” He added that in addition to replacing older Airbus A330s and Boeing 777-200s, the 787-10's capabilities will allow the carrier to expand into new markets.

SIA plans to announced the new routes as time draws nearer to their operation, he said, but he did hint at the possibility of Indonesia when asked about the importance of the market.

The airline expects the next of the -10s to arrive shortly and, in all, SIA plans to take eight of the model in its 2018/2019 fiscal year.

Beyond efficiency, SIA has invested $350 million in a new interior for the first 20 airplanes that Goh characterized as “unparalleled” in the planned medium-haul markets.

The interior includes a 36-seat premium class and 301-seat economy class. Produced by Stelia Aerospace, the 26-inch-wide business class seats can recline into a 76-inch flat bed. The premium-class layout incorporates a one-two-one staggered configuration to provide all passengers access to the aisle. Privacy partitions can be raised between the center premium-class seats. Each seat features storage underneath a footrest. The premium-class stations come with 18-inch, high-definition touchscreens with access to SIA’s KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system.

Economy class features a nine-abreast (3 x 3 x 3) seating configuration. Fitted with headrests that can recline six inches, the seats each incorporate individual 11.6 inch high-definition touchscreens, an individual power supply, and a USB port.

Panasonic’s Global Communication Services support Wi-Fi and Panasonic subsidiary Aeromobile GSM phone services.

Beyond the initial 20 airplanes, Goh said the airline will evaluate plans for the future models, noting that the order allows the flexibility to switch from the -9 variant.

While offering two classes in the 787-10, Goh stressed SIA still believes three classes are appropriate for longer-haul aircraft and said the airline's 777-9s on order will include a first class cabin section. SIA has placed a firm order for 20 of the 777-9s, scheduled for first delivery in SIA’s 2021/22 financial year and meant primarily to replace 777-300ERs. Work has already begun on a new interior for the new 777s, he said.

In the nearer term, Singapore later this year plans to begin taking delivery of seven Airbus A350-900ULRs slated to reopen services between Singapore and New York and Los Angeles.