Royal Brunei Airlines and Boeing have just announced an aircraft order, which is pretty significant when you consider the size of the carrier’s fleet.
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Royal Brunei orders more Boeing 787 Dreamliners
Royal Brunei has placed an order for four Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Royal Brunei’s long haul fleet currently consists of five Boeing 787-8s, which the airline started taking delivery of in 2013. The airline has long had a partnership with Boeing, and was even the first airline in Southeast Asia to fly the Dreamliner. The 787-9 will nicely complement those planes, given that this is the larger variant of the jet.
Here’s how Royal Brunei CEO Sabirin bin Haji Abdul Hamid describes this order:
“The forthcoming arrival of the Dreamliner 787-9 aircraft symbolizes a bold step forward in our ongoing journey towards innovation and excellence. RB had been operating the Dreamliner 787-8 for the last 10 years, and with this order, it will ensure we continue with a product that our customer come to enjoy. In our constant effort to offer unparalleled service matched with the highest safety standards to our guests, the new fleet will allow us the potential to tap into new growth areas, strengthening RB’s market appeal and provide a superior travel experience to our guests.”
“The acquisition of the Dreamliner B787-9 fleet further continues our long-time partnership with Boeing through the past 50 years where we celebrated 10th year of operating the 787 fleet in the region, last year. We look forward to a more successful future with Boeing as we embark on this new journey together.”
Will these planes be used for growth or renewal?
Since the delivery timeline for these jets isn’t yet known, I can’t help but wonder if these new 787-9s will be used for incremental growth (bringing Royal Brunei’s fleet to nine 787-9s), or if they’ll be used to replace the existing 787-8s in the coming years, as it’s not unusual for some airlines to replace aircraft after a bit over a decade (even though that’s unnecessary).
It sounds to me like the airline plans to simply add these to the fleet incrementally, which would represent a huge expansion. Currently Royal Brunei’s 787 network consists of flights from Bandar Seri Begawan (BWN) to Melbourne (MEL), Dubai (DXB), and London (LHR), with the London service operating via Dubai.
Brunei is a very small country, so much of the carrier’s long haul network seems to consist of carrying passengers between Melbourne and London, with two stops along the way. Given that Royal Brunei is a dry airline, I’m surprised so many Brits and Aussies are down for this journey, but I guess if the price is right… 😉
With Royal Brunei updating its long haul fleet, I hope that the airline also introduces a new passenger experience, as the existing 787s sure aren’t much to get excited about. They simply have fully flat seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, which isn’t competitive nowadays. You can read my review of Royal Brunei’s 787 business class here.
Bottom line
Royal Brunei has placed an order for four Boeing 787-9s, complementing the carrier’s existing fleet of five Boeing 787-8s. It remains to be seen if the airline will use these planes for significant growth, roughly doubling its long haul capacity, or if these planes will eventually be used to replace existing 787-8s. Regardless, here’s to hoping the airline introduces an improved passenger experience.
What do you make of Royal Brunei’s Boeing 787-9 order?
Royal Brunei allows non Muslim passengers to bring onboard their own alcohol , they just aren’t allowed handle it , so mixes , ICE ,all good
Hey Ben,
How about an article listing which airlines are dry? You've discussed dry airline flying before (notably in 2017) but I haven't found a comprehensive list. Some people would prefer to fly those airlines while other would like to avoid them. Thanks.
Ignorant. I'd like to see you in a pot of boiling water too.
I don't really see a dry airline as a negative, I can easily forego the drink or two I'd have and at least I won't get an obviously drunk passenger behind me being constantly given more drinks like I experience on Qantas recently.
Some people fell they've been robbed if they don't get loads of free food/drinks on a flight! Likewise they'll probably eat like pigs at a hotel buffet "to get my money's worth....." Feeling sick for the next 4 hours doesn't appear to be an issue either.
I had friends fly out of MEL to London and they didn't know it was a dry airline and my lord they complained and complained, it was quite funny. The price was cheap but it came with a catch!