SINGAPORE - SilkAir, the Singapore Airline group's regional carrier, announced the arrival of its new Boeing 737 Max 8 on Wednesday (Oct 4), as well as the airline's new destination Hiroshima.

SilkAir will begin flying to Hiroshima, its first destination in Japan, on Oct 30.

The airline will run return flights to Hiroshima three times a week, and will be the only non-stop service between Singapore and the Japanese city.

Two more Max 8 aircraft will be delivered by the end of this year (2017), with 34 more on order.

The new aircraft features quieter engines and more spacious business class cabins, allowing for a more comfortable flight for passengers.

The Max 8 will also be deployed to other, longer-haul destinations in SilkAir's network, including Cairns and Darwin in Australia, as well as Hyderabad and Bangalore in India.

The greater fuel efficiency of the aircraft will allow it to fly for seven hours, which opens up "new and exciting destinations" for passengers for SilkAir, said its chief executive Foo Chai Woo.