Scoot's newest Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the "Mous-Scoot-Ka", landed in Changi yesterday afternoon, after a 15-hour delivery flight from Seattle, Washington.

The plane will ply the low-cost carrier's first long-haul route, a Singapore-Athens service starting next month. Its name is a quirky reference to the popular Greek dish Moussaka.

While this is Scoot's 14th Dreamliner, it is only the second to be fitted with crew bunks - a requirement for airlines to offer long-haul flights. Scoot has said that the long-haul market will become a "significant part" of its network and in the next two to three years, it could triple such offerings.

Before the flight, to mark the plane's delivery, a ribbon-cutting was done on Thursday morning (United States time) at Boeing's Everett Delivery Centre by Mr Lee Lik Hsin, chief executive of Budget Aviation Holdings, which operates Scoot and Tigerair, and Dr Dinesh Keskar, Boeing's senior vice-president for sales for the Asia-Pacific and India.

Mr Lee told reporters during the flight: "This is a very exciting time for the airline because this is the first time we are going long-haul."

He added that the next long-haul destination will be announced soon. It is believed that Scoot is exploring a Singapore-Honolulu service, with a stop in Osaka, Japan, and is seeking approval from the authorities in the US.

Scoot's two crew bunk-equipped Dreamliners can carry 329 passengers, six fewer than the other 12 787s without the rest areas.

Bunks are typically not required for flights of up to about 101/2 hours. Scoot's Singapore-Athens flight will be 111/2 hours, topping its nine-hour Singapore-Jeddah route.

Scoot took delivery of its first 787 Dreamliner with crew bunks last month.

Cabin crew member Hera Abu, 27, who has been with Scoot for more than four years, said: "We are travelling through different time zones, so chances are we will get jet-lagged. With the crew bunks, because of the comfort, it's easier to adapt to that."

Adrian Lim