Jetstar's Boeing 787 Dreamliner gets all-clear for takeoff

THE air safety watchdog has given the official green light for Jetstar to begin flights on its Boeing 787 next week.

The 787 Dreamliner at Cairns Airport before the launch of its commercial domestic flights.

THE air safety regulator has given the official go-ahead for Jetstar Airways to begin Australia's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner services next week.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has authorised the addition of the first Boeing 787 to the budget airline's fleet, with 13 more aircraft to be added over time.

CASA's approval follows months of detailed work by a team of experts, the regulator said, including the training of inspectors on the new aircraft type.

It now has two flying operations inspectors and two airworthiness inspectors licenced on the Boeing 787 and will keep an eye on the aircraft's operations.

"It is not often we introduce new large aircraft types into Australian aviation so it takes a lot of work by the airline and by CASA," director of aviation safety John McCormick said.

"The safety approval process included a demonstration of Jetstar's 787 emergency evacuation procedures and culminated in a series of flights to prove Jetstar's operations procedures will run smoothly and safely."

Jetstar plans to begin domestic Boeing 787 services between Melbourne and the Gold Coast and Cairns for about a month before launching international services towards the end of the year.

The Dreamliner will take off on its inaugural flight to the Gold Coast on Wednesday.

The approval is good news for Jetstar but follows a string of incidents involving the aircraft type, which is built with the use of composite materials and encompasses a raft of new aircraft technology.

Most recently, it was revealed that the windshield of a Dreamliner operated by Air India developed a crack while landing in Melbourne on Sunday.