Singapore Airlines has announced plans to deploy its new 787-10 Dreamliner on its Maldives service.

Singapore Airlines, consistently ranked as the world’s best airline, first flew to the Maldives in March 1984 with a weekly Singapore-Male service, whilst regional wing SilkAir launched four-times-weekly services in October 2015. Singapore Airlines and SilkAir currently operate a total of 16 weekly services to Male, offering convenient connections to other destinations in the SIA and SilkAir network.

From September 1, Singapore Airlines will swap its existing Airbus A330-300 jet with the new Dreamliner for its Singapore-Male service.

Singapore Airlines is the world’s first airline to operate the new B787-10 Dreamliner, the newest and longest member of the super-efficient 787 family. As a stretch of the 787-9, the 787-10 leverages the family’s proven technology, long range and preferred passenger experience, with unprecedented efficiency: 10 per cent better fuel and emissions than the best on offer by the competition and 25 per cent better than the airplanes it will replace.

The B787-10 Dreamliner operated by Singapore Airlines features fully-flat beds with direct aisle access for all regional Business Class customers, so they can rest in more comfort, even on the shortest flights. Economy travellers on the aircraft will be treated to ergonomically designed backrests contours and a six-way headrest for the perfect neck support.

This new Dreamliner service to the Maldives by Singapore Airlines follows the signing of an open skies agreement between the Maldives and Singapore last month. With the updated Air Services Agreement signed during Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s state visit to Singapore in June, airlines of the Maldives and Singapore will be able to operate as many passenger flights or cargo services as they want between and beyond both countries.

Despite a slight decline in tourist arrivals to the Maldives from Singapore last year, the number of Singaporean visitors has increased in the first five months of this year. Official figures show that 5,187 Singaporeans visited the Maldives during the January-May period — a 13.8 per cent increase over the same period last year.