Boeing teams in North Charleston, S.C., have started final assembly of the first 787-10 Dreamliner, marking another milestone for the development programme.  Major assembly of the first 787-10 started in March, when Kawasaki Heavy Industries began installing the circular frames into the midforward section of the fuselage.

The first 787-10 will cycle through Boeing South Carolina's Final Assembly facility as all major sections are joined, interior and exterior components completed, power turned on and production tests begin.

The 787-10 is a straightforward stretch of the 787-9, which entered service in 2014. 95% of the design and build of the 787-10 and 787-9 will be identical.

The first 787-10 is expected to fly in 2017 and first delivery is scheduled for 2018.

To date, Boeing has received 154 787-10 orders from nine customers.