Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers travelling between Singapore and Perth can soon board the new Boeing 787-10, with flights on the aircraft expected to begin in May.

SIA said in a statement yesterday that the Australian city will become the second scheduled destination - after Osaka in Japan - to be served by the new fleet.

The flights will commence in May, first on one of the airline's four daily Singapore-Perth trips, subjected to regulatory approvals.

The 787-10 is able to seat 337 passengers, with 36 in business class and 301 in economy class, the statement said, adding that it will also feature SIA's new regional cabin products.

Prior to the launch of services to Perth, the 787-10s will be operating on selected flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for crew training purposes.

This will be before the first scheduled service to Osaka, also in May.

The first aircraft in the SIA livery completed its flight testing at Boeing's production facility in North Charleston, South Carolina, on Feb 9, the statement added.

SIA will take delivery of its first 787-10 from Boeing next month, after which it will become the first airline in the world to operate the aircraft.

The statement said SIA has placed 49 firm orders for this aircraft type, which is the longest variant of the Dreamliner range of aircraft at 68m in length.

The Dreamliner range is constructed using technologically advanced lightweight composite materials.

SIA also has a firm order for 20 Boeing 777-9s, which are due for delivery from the 2021/22 financial year.