Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner is now clear for commercial service, as the company announced obtaining an approval by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

"We are pleased to have met the rigorous standards set forth by the FAA and are eager to bring the airplane to market for our valued customers," said Brad Zaback, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "After years of design and testing, our team has proven the quality, safety, and reliability of the newest member of the Dreamliner family and we look forward to seeing the airplane in service later this year."

The B787-10 Dreamliner flight test program began in March 2017 and involved three flight-test airplanes that accumulated about 900 test hours. Boeing's flight test program team took the airplanes through a series of tests to confirm the airplane's handling, systems, and overall performance met internal requirements and certification standards to ensure the safety of flight. Other aviation regulatory agencies are expected to follow the FAA's lead and certify the airplane before it enters service, Boeing adds in a statement.

The 787 Dreamliner is a stretch version of the 787-9 and retains over 95% commonality, but has greater seats and cargo capacity. It can fly 330 passengers, in a typical two-class configuration, up to 6,430 nautical miles (11,910 km). To date, Boeing has over 170 orders for the 787-10 from nine customers worldwide. Its launch customer is expected to be Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) , that should receive the first delivery in the first half of 2018.