Here's why India's new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner matters

Vistara, a Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons joint venture received its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on Feb. 29, 2020.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft is a wide-body, long-haul aircraft similar to the previous version 787-8 but can carry more passengers due to a longer fuselage and can travel farther with a range of 14,100 km instead of the 787-8’s 13,600 km. It also consumes 20% less fuel compared to the earlier generation of the Dreamliner.

The aircraft’s fuselage is longer by 6 metres, which enables the airline to carry 280 passengers rather than the usual 240 passengers.

The airline plans to employ a three-class configuration for the aircraft with economy, premium economy and business class. The economy class will have a 3-3-3 configuration across 2 cabins, one 21-seater premium economy cabin in a 2-3-2 configuration and a business class cabin with 1-2-1 configuration.

Boeing’s Dreamliner aircraft are known to be quieter and have an innovative ‘human-centric’ lighting system that will help flyers feel less jet-lagged compared to other long-haul planes. Vistara will also be the first airline to offer Wi-Fi service in India.

Other than Air India, Vistara would be the only airline in the country to fly a Dreamliner. Air India’s Dreamliners, however, are the previous generation of the aircraft, the 787-8s.

Qantas completed the third-longest ever scheduled non-stop flight using the 787-9 aircraft from Perth in Australia to London's Heathrow airport.