.:.Singapore Airlines.:.Part 2

[RafflesCity]

The Creation of Singapore Airlines

http://files.photojerk.com/RafflesCity/sqfin.jpg

From a single plane to an internationally respected brand, almost 60 years of innovation and service has propelled the growth of Singapore Airlines to become one of the world's leading carriers with an advanced fleet. We began with three flights per week, and today our route network spans 90 destinations in almost 40 countries. Years ago, Singapore Airlines was the first to offer free drinks and complimentary headsets. More recently, we pioneered inflight telecommunications services and unparalleled inflight luxury. Soon, we will be the first to put the world’s largest plane into service.


From First Flight to Soaring Height

http://www.plaza.ch/stones/Pictures/SingaporeAirlinesConsul.jpg

The history of Singapore Airlines dates back to 1 May 1947, when a Malayan Airways Limited Airspeed Consul took off from Singapore's Kallang Airport on the first of three scheduled flights a week to Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang.


Over the next two decades, the Airline steadily acquired more planes. There were additions of the DC-4 Skymaster, Vickers Viscount, Lockheed Super Constellation, Bristol Brittania, Comet IV, and the Fokker F27.


On 16 September 1963, the Federation of Malaysia was born and the Airline became known as Malaysian Airways Limted. In May 1966, it became Malaysia-Singapore Airlines.
Later, the new look of the Airline evolved further with its first Boeings - three B707s, then a fleet of B737s.

In 1972, Malaysia-Singapore Airlines split up to become two entities - Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airline System.

This change was used to launch a new, more modern service approach on the airline. To house a special fleet of B747s, B7272s, and DC-10s, the new Singapore Airlines also boasted a new airfreight terminal and a B747 hangar.

http://www.concordesst.com/history/events/pictures/sia1.jpg


The Singapore Girl is Born

In 1968, the sarong kebaya uniform designed by French couturier Pierre Balmain was introduced and the internationally recognized image of the Singapore Girl debuted.

http://www.uniformfreak.com/uniforms/singapore/sia2.jpghttp://www.uniformfreak.com/uniforms/singapore/sia.jpg

http://www.plaza.ch/stones/Pictures/SIAChicago.jpg

http://www.plaza.ch/stones/Pictures/SingaporeAirlinesGirl_4.jpg


A Reputation for Inflight Firsts


The 1980s brought a number of firsts. The Singapore Airlines fleet continued to grow, in impressive and historic ways. It had the first A300 Superbus, the B747-300 Big Top, the B757 and the A310-200. We are also the first airline in the world to operate an international commercial flight across the Pacific Ocean with the 747-400 Megatop.


In the 1990s, Singapore Airlines revolutionized inflight communications and entertainment through the KrisFone - the first global sky telephone service - and KrisWorld offerings. At the same time, we sought to further improve our unparalleled fleet, placing a US$10.3-billion order for 22 B747-400s and 30 A340-300s in 1994, a US$12.7-billion order for 77 B777s in 1995, and a US$2.2-billion order for 10 A340-500s in 1998.


In 2000, the Airline placed 19 A380s on firm order and a US$4 billion order for 20 more B777-200s in 2001. The A380, the world's largest commercial plane will soon enter service with Singapore Airlines, making it another world’s first.

http://files.photojerk.com/RafflesCity/sqad.jpg


The Highest Service Today

Singapore Airlines today is built solidly on our history, from the designer bone china flatware to the Bulgari cologne for First Class passengers, to our advanced fleet of aircraft and motivated employees.


Today, our inflight service is of the highest order. The Singapore Airlines World Gourmet Cuisine boasts a selection of exclusive and tantalising signature dishes, specially designed by a panel of nine internationally renowned chefs, and a wine list selected by three of the world's most discerning wine consultants.
KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines' award-winning and ever-expanding inflight entertainment system, offers customers a wide range of entertainment options. Customers can choose from a variety of movies, TV programmes, music CDs and channels. There is also an extensive selection of video games and interactive applications including Berlitz Word Traveler, a fully interactive learning programme.

Singapore Airlines became a full member of the global Star Alliance in 2000 and with it came "seamless" worldwide air travel. With the extensive network of partner airlines, connecting flights, frequent flyer points, and baggage clearance are now a breeze.

Singapore Airlines’ route network reaches out to over 90 destinations in close to 40 countries.

http://www.scanair.no/test/SQ-crew.jpg


A Future of Firsts
Singapore Airlines will make Aviation history when the Airline will become the first Airline to operate the world's largest aircraft, the Airbus A380.


The future promises to bring more firsts like these, as we at Singapore Airlines, continually strive to drive quality service through innovation.

http://www.aircraft-info.net/aircraft/jet_aircraft/airbus/A380/a380_01.jpg

[RafflesCity]

The Fleet

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sqfleet2.jpg

From the beginning, Singapore Airlines learned that investing in the future means being the safest, youngest, most advanced, and fuel efficient planes in the skies. (The average age of our passenger fleet is about 6 years. Tthis excludes the A310-300s and surplus B747-400s which have been decommissioned.) That tradition continues today with the addition of ever-more advanced aircraft.

B747-400
Engine Type: PW4056
In Operation: 27

http://files.photojerk.com/RafflesCity/sq744.jpg


B777-300
Engine Type: Rolls Royce Trent 892
In Operation: 12

B777-300ER
Engine Type: GE90-115B
In Fleet: -
On Firm Order: 19
On Option: 13

http://files.photojerk.com/RafflesCity/sq772.jpg

B777-200
Engine Type: Rolls Royce Trent 884
In Operation:31


B777-200ER
Engine Type: Rolls Royce Trent 892
In Operation: 15

http://files.photojerk.com/RafflesCity/sqfleet.jpg

(SIA has the flexibility to purchase any B777 model)

A340-500 (operates world's longest nonstop route from Singapore to New York)
Engine Type: Rolls Royce Trent 553
In Operation:5

http://files.photojerk.com/RafflesCity/sqa345.jpg


A380-800 (Will be the first airline to fly this aircraft)
Engine Type: Rolls Royce Trent 900
In Operation: -
On Firm Order: 10
On Option: 15

http://files.photojerk.com/RafflesCity/sqa380.jpg

[RafflesCity]

Some cabin views

First Class

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sqcabin.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sqcabin2.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sqfc.jpg

Raffles Class

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sqcabin6.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sqcabin3.jpg

Economy Class

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sqcabin4.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sqcabin5.jpg

[RafflesCity]

I was surfing their official website and here are their awards collected in from Jan-Sep 2006

http://www.plaza.ch/stones/Pictures/SingaporeAirlinesMostAwarded.jpg

Singapore Airlines - International Award Winner (2000-2005)

2006
SEPTEMBER 2006
Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards 2006
Best Airline (15th consecutive year)
Best Asia-Pacific Airline
Best First Class
Best Business Class
Best Economy Class

SmartTravel Asia
Best in Travel 2006
World’s Best Cabin Service

Securities Investors Association (Singapore)
SIAS 7th Investors’ Choice Awards 2006 (2nd consecutive year)
Transport/Storage/Communications Category
Most Transparent Company Award 2006
Big Caps (above $1 billion) Categpry
Most Transparent Company Award 2006

JULY 2006

Reise & Preise Travel Magazine (Germany)
Best Economy Class (4th consecutive year)

Capital Magazine (Germany)
Intercontinental Airline of the Year 2006 (6th consecutive year)

Travel+Leisure Magazine (US)
World’s Best International Airline (11th consecutive year)

JUNE 2006

Business Traveller Middle East Award 2006
Best Asian Airline Serving the Middle East (5th consecutive year)

MAY 2006

Asian Banking & Finance Magazine
Asian Banking & Finance Travel Awards
Best Airline for Travel in Asia

CAAS
Changi Airline Awards
Top 10 Airlines by Passenger carriage 2005
Singapore Airlines

Fortune Magazine
Top 20 World’s Most Admired Companies
Singapore Airlines (Ranked 19th)

APRIL 2006

Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands
Airline Category
Platinum Award (Singapore)

Conferences Exhibitions Incentives Asia Pacific
Survey 2006
Best Airline for CEI Sector

MARCH 2006

Grand Travel Award (Sweden)
Intercontinental Airline (Ranked 2nd)

Travel & Leisure
Best International Airline for Value 2006

FEBRUARY 2006

Dutch Travel News
Best Long Haul Carrier 2005

DestinAsian (leading luxury travel and lifestyle magazine, Jakarta)
Readers’ Choice Awards
Best Airline
Best First Class
Best Business Class
Best Economy Class
Best Inflight Entertainment
Best Frequent Flyer Programme

Pacific Asia Travel Association
Grand Award in Marketing
SIA Recovery Initiatives – Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bali
Gold Award in the Marketing, Carrier (International-Air)
Boarding Pass Privileges Programme 2006

Irish Travel Trade News Awards
Best Airline to Asia & Australiasia

JANUARY 2006

Business Traveller Germany 2006
Best Airline to Asia and the Pacific Area (Overall)
Best Airline for Safety
Best Airline for Cabin Crew
Best Airline for Service on the Ground
Best Airline for Cabin Appearance
Best Airline for Catering

‘Lifestyle’ Periodical (China)
Travel Category
Most Influential Brand in 2006

‘Reisrevue’ (Dutch Travel Magazine)
Best Long Haul Carrier 2005

[^tamago^]

Singapore Airlines to fly to Milan and Barcelona from July

02 May 2006 1541 hrs (SST) 0741 hrs (GMT)

SINGAPORE : Singapore Airlines (SIA) will commence thrice weekly flights to two popular European destinations, Barcelona and Milan, starting July 19, the carrier said Tuesday.

Flights will depart the city-state every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening for Milan and then on to Barcelona, SIA said in a statement.

On the return leg, flights will depart Barcelona every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning for Milan and then Singapore.

SIA is among the world's most profitable carriers but high oil prices have affected its bottomline.

Latest financial figures available showed the carrier's net profit in the December quarter fell 14.6 percent to S$397 million (US$251 million) as expenses ballooned due to soaring jet fuel costs. - AFP/ch

[babystan03]

12 July 2006

SIA clinches top international airline award for 11th consecutive year

SINGAPORE : Singapore Airlines has done it again.

It has been voted the top international airline in the World's Best Awards survey by leading travel magazine Travel+Leisure for the 11th consecutive year.

This comes shortly after it won the "Best Intercontinental Airline" title in the annual Airline of the Year awards by German business magazine, Capital, for the sixth time.

SIA says these awards are recognitions of the airline's effort in adapting to its customers' ever-changing tastes and preferences. - CNA /ls

Copyright © 2006 MCN International Pte Ltd

[babystan03]

Business Times - 21 Jul 2006

SIA spices up its in-flight menu

By NOOR AISHA

STARTING next month, Singapore Airlines (SIA) will introduce a brand-new Indian meal concept for its first-class passengers - the Shahi Thali.

Specially designed by internationally-acclaimed chef Sanjeev Kapoor, the Shahi Thali - which means 'Royal Banquet' - will be a feast in the sky comprising a starter, two types of chutneys (Indian relish), up to four entrees, rice, Indian bread and a signature desert. Topped off with lassi and masala tea, Shahi Thali will be available on all SIA flights between Singapore and New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

A newly appointed member of SIA's International Culinary Panel, Mr Kapoor is one of the most celebrated chefs in India. He is best known as the host of a hit TV cooking series Khana Khazana, which has over 150 million viewers in 60 countries. It is currently the longest-running TV programme in India - a total of 13 years since it first aired in 1993.

'We wanted something exotic, but it also had to be relevant - nice, lean and natural,' says Mr Kapoor. According to him, Shahi Thali meals have an 'Indian soul', yet contain a touch of modernity. 'We added more fruit into dessert, so that people can eat it - otherwise it becomes too sweet and heavy.' For example, one desert option available is Rabdi malpua, a sweet dessert comprising pancake served with stewed fruit.

Mr Kapoor, who gets cooking ideas by 'keeping his eyes and ears open', says that his cooking philosophy is to 'make Indian food accessible, allowing the novice cook to cook any meal, from a maharaja's (king in English) feast to your mom's cooking, with uncomplicated recipes and cooking processes'.

The fan of Singapore hawker cuisine says that he likes home-cooked food best, as 'it is not cooked blindly - we know who we are cooking for, and the food is cooked with love, care and passion'. As for who does the cooking at home, he laughs and says that his wife also cooks, and that she makes better chappati (Indian bread) than he does. 'I travel a lot, and if it was only me that did the cooking, my family would be really hungry,' quips the 42-year-old father of two daughters.

Mr Kapoor has been cooking professionally since the age of 25, and chose to become a chef as he wanted to do something 'completely different and creative'. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music - everything from Hindi songs to rock.

Going forward, Mr Kapoor hopes to continue as long as he can with Khana Khazana, and also hopes to come up with 'more books, more restaurants and more foodstuffs'.

Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

[ignoramus]

SIA to buy 20 Airbus A350s, nine A380s

SINGAPORE : Singapore Airlines has signed a letter of intent to buy 29 new passenger jets - 20 A350s and nine A380s - from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the company said Friday.

The firm order is worth US$7.5 billion and includes an option for another 20 A350s and six more of the double-decker A380s, SIA said.

Deliveries of the A350 XWB-900s, dubbed extra wide-body, are scheduled to begin in 2012 and run through to 2014 while the nine additional A380s will begin arriving in late 2008 and run until 2010, SIA said.

The announcement of the deal came one month after the profitable carrier reached a deal with Airbus' US rival Boeing for 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft worth US$4.5 billion.

SIA plans to be the first airline to fly the A380, the biggest commercial airliner ever, when it takes delivery of the first of 10 super-jumbos on order by the end of the year.

Technical problems on the A380 had earlier prompted the carrier to express its disappointment over delays in deliveries which have been progressively pushed back.

"This latest order, together with Singapore Airlines' order in June for 20 Boeing 787s, will position the airline well for future growth and uphold our policy of continuous fleet renewal and modernisation," SIA chief executive officer Chew Choon Seng said.

The A350 has just been reconfigured after clients complained Airbus had failed to match up to Boeing's 787 Dreamliner which has won hundreds of orders. - AFP/ch

[RafflesCity]

More A380s?! :eek:

How big is the A350?

[JediAlf]

More A380s?! :eek:

How big is the A350?

More A380s - obviously to replace Boeing 747-400s.

Emirates has orders of 45 Airbus A380 already.

A350 - 12 inches wider than A330.

[RafflesCity]

Singapore Airlines inks deal for Boeing 787 order

2 Oct 06

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) said it has signed a purchase agreement to buy 20 Boeing 787-789 jets, with options for another 20 of the planes.

The agreement confirms plans announced in June, when the carrier said it had signed a letter of intent with US manufacturer Boeing, the company said in a statement.

SIA said the purchase agreement was signed last week and the planes, the latest variant of the 787 series known as the Dreamliner, should be delivered between early 2011 and mid-2013.

Based on Boeing's catalogue prices, the 20 firm orders are worth US$4.52 billion (S$7.18 billion). SIA plans to deploy the 787s on routes to North Asia, the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East.

Boeing bills the planes as offering unmatched fuel efficiency. They can carry between 250 and 290 passengers and have a range of 8,600 to 8,800 nautical miles (15,900 to 16,300 kilometres).

SIA is one of the world's most profitable airlines. In the first quarter to June, the airline recorded a net profit of S$575.1 million, more than double that of the same period last year. -- AFP

[RafflesCity]

Singapore Airlines adds a touch of haute couture

12 Oct 06

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is adding a touch of haute couture.

The carrier said Thursday it will feature amenities designed by French fashion house Givenchy on its new Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A380 aircraft.

The nearly 200 designer items include larger cushions and down-filled pillows, SIA said in a statement.

"First class customers will be able to lounge in style in the new Givenchy sleeper suit and plush suede slippers. For business and economy class customers, the fashion house has also created new eyeshades and sockettes to ensure that customers enjoy quality rest on board," it said.

First and business class passengers will be served their meals on Givenchy-designed tableware and linen, it added.

SIA's new 777-300ER jets are to begin arriving next month.

The carrier was originally supposed to receive the first of an original order of 10 double-decker A380s early this year but delays have progressively pushed back the plane's arrival.

Airbus this month announced another delay in the program and said Singapore's first A380 will now be delivered in October of next year.

SIA will be the first carrier to fly the super jumbo A380.

[RafflesCity]

SIA launches next generation cabin products, pegged to premium travel

17 Oct 06

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) has launched its latest range of next generation cabin products pegged to premium air travel and product and service excellence.
It boasts of the latest seat designs and a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system, among other step-ups.

'This is by far our most important and comprehensive product and service development programme,' said Mr Bey Soo Khiang, SIA Operations and Services senior executive vice-president.

'What we are introducing today is a suite of products that meets, if not exceeds the expectations of the increasingly sophisticated world traveller,' he said on Tuesday.

The 570-million-dollar product and service development programme marks the completion of an extensive four-year project.

The timeline was part of the carrier's fleet expansion plan that will welcome the Boeing 777-300ER (extended range) and the Airbus A380.

The changes were made with customers' feedback in mind, said SIA.

KrisWorld inflight entertainment system
The next generation KrisWorld inflight entertainment system offers over 1,000 on-demand movies, TV programmes, interactive games, music, as well as learning applications.

New additions include office tools like spreadsheet, presentation and word processing.

The first in the world to launch the latest eX2 inflight entertainment system, SIA now boasts larger, high-resolution screens across all three classes, and compact intuitive handsets.

Every seat also provides external USB ports, as well as new noise reduction headsets for first and business class travellers.

New seats
Other revamps include the design of new seats, which allows for more personal space and legroom across all three first, business and economy classes, said SIA.

In particular, the new leather seat in first class, 89cm wide, is the most spacious of its kind offered by a commercial airline.

There will be only eight such seats in the cabin for greater privacy, the carrier said.

Meanwhile, the 76-cm business class seat measures a generous 50 per cent wider than most other carriers'.

Both can be converted into a fully-flat bed, for greater comfort while travelling.

Customers travelling on Singapore Airlines' new B777-300ER services from this December, between Singapore and Paris, and subsequently Zurich, will be the first to experience these new products.

SIA is scheduled to take delivery of its first B777-300ER in November 2006, of the 19 it has on firm order, it said. Ten will enter service by the middle of 2007.

The Airbus A380 aircraft will also feature variations of some of these products when it joins the fleet.

By E-von Yeung, Straits Times Interactive

[phenom]

Singapore Airlines hopes to raise ticket prices


SINGAPORE –– Singapore Airlines (SIA) is hoping to raise ticket prices starting in December as it rolls out its first batch of aircraft with upgraded interiors, the carrier said Tuesday.

SIA says it is spending 360 million US dollars on the development and installation of wider seats, a next-generation entertainment system and enhanced service on the Boeing 777ER aircraft and Airbus A380 super jumbo.

"With the improvement in the product, all the space and comfort we give you, we do expect a differential in pricing," SIA executive vice president for marketing Huang Cheng Eng said after unveiling the new interior design.

Huang said he expects SIA to raise ticket prices by 10-20 percent.

Customers travelling on Singapore Airlines' new Boeing 777-300ER between Singapore and Paris in December will be the first to experience the new cabin products, SIA said.

The first of 19 777-300 Extended Range aircraft will arrive in November. SIA is to be the first airline to fly the double-decker Airbus A380 aircraft

The carrier was originally supposed to receive the first of an original order of 10 A380s early this year but delays have progressively pushed back the plane's arrival.

Airbus this month announced another delay in the program and said Singapore's first A380 will now be delivered in October of next year. –– AFP

[TORONTO]

go to singaporeair.com for pics and more info!

Man, they look great!

TORONTO

[Nikom]

Just Amazing,great work :okay:

:eek2: :eek: :eek2: :eek:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j67/RCSSC/sqcabin2.jpg

[RafflesCity]

Singapore Airlines could cancel Airbus order

18 Oct 06

PARIS - Singapore Airlines could cancel an order for nine Airbus A380 superjumbos if there are excessive delays to its delivery, French newspapers reported.

'If the deliveries are too far away and take place at a moment during which we do not need them, we could indeed cancel them,' Mr Bey Soo Khiang, senior executive vice-president of the airline, was quoted as saying in La Tribune.

Airbus, the aircraft maker controlled by aerospace group EADS , has not have given Singapore Airlines a precise schedule for all the deliveries, La Tribune said.

A Singapore Airlines spokesman said: 'The comment quoted in the French media refers only to the option that exists in the Purchase Agreement to cancel deliveries that are delayed. There has been no decision to exercise any cancellation rights under the Agreement. We therefore can't rule any options in or out at this time, which is the position we have maintained since the delay was announced.'

Airbus could not be reached for comment.

The order for nine A380s comes on top of a firm order of 10 aircraft signed last year by the airline, the world second largest by market capitalisation, La Tribune noted.

Airbus has revealed a string of internal problems which have led it to delay the first deliveries of its superjumbo A380 aircraft.

Singapore Airlines said on Tuesday it had spent US$360 million on interior design for its new aircraft including first-class seats that are nearly 1m wide. -- REUTERS

[Subangite]

Nikom, I this that picture you posted is believe it or not is their current seat fitted on their planes right now, not the new ones being introduced!!!

Singapore Airlines new seats will redefine comfort levels! They are the widest seats of any commercial carrier in the world, look how wide they are!!. LCD's galore, First class having 23 inches, Business having 15 inches and economy having 10.6 inches.

Pictures from http://www.singaporeair.com

First Class

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/3379/sianewfpu2.jpg

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/first_seat_4.jpg

Business Class (Raffles class brand has been removed)

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/business_landing.jpg

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/business_seat_1.jpg

Economy Class

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/economy_landing.jpg

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/economy_seat_2.jpg

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/economy_seat_1.jpg

I'm so glad I'm a member of Star Alliance, SIA really is a credit to them. Singapore Airlines says it will charge 10-20 % premium on the services apparently, but seeing that their product is so revolutionary, I bet it'll be a success once again, especially when you consider their rivals Malaysia Airlines and THAI are years behind when it comes to cabin amenities, especially in comparison since they both haven't finished upgrading their aircrafts to provide inflight products that SIA have had in service since 2000.

[aUen]

^^Indeed, revolutionary. Business class with a 1-2-1 seat configuation is a very daring move. I wonder how would Cathay Pacific react to this.

[cmoonflyer]

SIN service is always super and impressive !

[RafflesCity]

^^Indeed, revolutionary. Business class with a 1-2-1 seat configuation is a very daring move. I wonder how would Cathay Pacific react to this.

I suppose such a configuration reflects the trend of those that travel Business Class often. Perhaps many travel alone and would likely want the privacy.

I also note that branding wise, its now simply called Business Class again and no longer Raffles Class that if I recall, was introduced around 1990.

[r4d1ty4]

the business class is superb

[oz.fil]

the new business class looks kinda like emirates first class on their t7s minus the personal mini bar of course... singapore airlines just keeps breaking barriers dont they?

[heirloom]

the new economy class seats look pretty much like what used to be their executive economy on the sin-lax and sin-ewr flights. sia should really allow sharing of the business and first class seats - its a waste of fuel to carry so little people!

[babystan03]

Business Times - 26 Oct 2006

Hock Lock Siew
Not plain luxury, but a necessity

By VEN SREENIVASAN

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) must have some pretty good reasons for spending US$360 million on the luxurious new seating and sleeping arrangements it has just unveiled for its cabins. So what are those reasons?

The new Givenchy-designed cabins featuring luxurious First Class sleeper bed-seats almost a metre wide, or the airline's 76cm-wide Business Class flat-bed seats, could in themselves provide some passengers with the space for some naughty dalliances miles high in the sky.

It is notable in a highly competitive market just how far airlines will go, and how much they will cough up to outfit their planes with the latest luxuries. Just how can the payback justify the frills?

SIA is spending big money to undertake its biggest cabin facelift ever - in terms of dollars-per-seat as well as the overall price. It amounts to just over one-fifth of the airline's total revenue for the previous two years. And this is on top of some US$12 billion (based on list prices) that SIA is spending on fleet renewal involving new Airbus A380 and A350 planes and Boeing 787 aircraft.

The cabin upgrading programme - four years in the making - was earlier planned to coincide with the arrival of SIA's first A380 in December.

But with that aircraft delayed for a further 10 months, the cabins will initially be seen in new B777-300ERs, the first of which will join SIA's fleet next month.

The last time SIA did a major product upgrade was in 1998, when it spent some US$500 million on its B747 rollout. The 747 fleet was, of course, much bigger than the B777-300ER on which it is spending the US$360 million.

So, might SIA Line is overdrawn have gone overboard, especially given the high fuel price, and environmental and market uncertainties?

The short answer is: No.

Leading global carriers like SIA get between 50 and 70 per cent of their revenues from premium-class seats. SIA officials have let out that the airline gets up to 18 per cent of its revenue from First Class seats and about another 50 per cent from Business Class.

While airlines do not reveal the breakdown in terms of earnings contribution, analysts reckon premium passengers account for well over two-thirds of total seat yield.

UBS Investment Research released a study two months ago showing that carriers like SIA, Cathay Pacific and British Airways (BA) have done exceptionally well despite high fuel prices because of their strong position in the premium and corporate markets. Citing a survey of some 180 travel managers, UBS noted that corporate travel had a low price elasticity.

SIA's last Business Class upgrade was in 2002. But competitors have upgraded too. Emirates and Cathay Pacific have had two Business Class seat and cabin upgrades in the past four years.

And in 2000, BA introduced what it claimed were the first truly flat beds in its Club World service. Next month, BA will unveil a further 100 million (S$295 million) investment in even newer seats.

SIA and its rivals are facing a dynamic and competitive market where the ability to extract a premium price depends on high-margin products. And the life cycles of these premium-grade seats are getting steadily shorter. So rather than opt for incremental improvements, airlines like SIA have to drive their superior brand names via innovations which takes them leaps ahead of the competition. And that edge, in product differentiation and branding, enables SIA to charge more than its rivals can for Business and First Class seats.

SIA has already revealed that a ticket on a plane fitted with is latest posh cabin will cost 10-20 per cent more. Given that it already charges a 10 per cent premium over its rivals, this translates into a premium of almost 30 per cent.

And SIA cannot hope to command that kind of pricing and still hope to fill its Business and First Class cabins with half measures. So expenditure on premium-class frills has, in SIA's case, a direct bearing on the quality of its earnings. For the airline, it is not a luxury but a necessity.

Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

[babystan03]

Business Times - 27 Oct 2006

SIA to add Asia, US routes for new Boeing aircraft

By VEN SREENIVASAN

(SINGAPORE) Singapore Airlines will deploy its new Boeing 777-300ER planes, with new cabin products, on routes within Asia and the US, in addition to Europe.

The aircraft will be delivered progressively from November, and will enter commercial service on the Singapore-Paris route in early December 2006.

But SIA will also deploy the planes for its six times daily Singapore-Hong Kong and thrice-weekly Singapore-Milan-Barcelona flights in December.

And in January, the new planes will be deployed on the daily Singapore-Zurich flights, followed by Singapore-Seoul-San Francisco service in March.

In May, the newest plane will be put on the daily Singapore-Frankfurt route.

'Beyond the destinations we're announcing now, we will look at further deployments gradually to other cities in Europe, the South Pacific and North Asia, including China,' said SIA's spokesman Stephen Forshaw.

'We'll make announcements about those further schedules in the future,' Mr Forshaw added.

SIA has ordered 19 of the B777-300ER planes and expects to receive six B777-300ERs this year and four more by mid-2007, followed by nine in 2008.

The aircraft will be fitted with the airline's new range of cabin products, including the largest First and Business Class seats with fully flat beds, a more spacious Economy Class, and an enhanced KrisWorld inflight entertainment system featuring over 1000 options, plus a suite of office applications.

Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

[babystan03]

Business Times - 16 Nov 2006

SIA passenger load factor rises to 77.9% in Oct

SINGAPORE Airlines filled 77.9 per cent of its seats in October as passenger carriage rose 8 per cent year-on-year to 1.54 million against a capacity increase of 3.7 per cent.

The airline attributed the improvement in passenger load factor - from 74.7 per cent a year earlier - to continuing strong traffic in the South-west Pacific region, particularly the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland services.

'The strong passenger traffic from the long Deepavali-Hari Raya break in South-east Asia and school holidays in Australia also contributed to the high rate of air travel growth,' SIA said in a statement.

But the airline's cargo load factor fell to 62.4 per cent in October - from 68.1 per cent a year earlier - due to lower shipments to East Asia, the Americas and Europe. Cargo load factor was also depressed by an increase in capacity arising from higher belly-holds and additional capacity from two aircraft that were returned from lease at end-September.

'The seasonal shutdown of manufacturing plants in India and the Middle East during the long Deepavali-Hari Raya break in October caused much of the slowdown in exports to the Americas, Europe and East Asia regions,' SIA said.

The airline's overall load factor was 68.2 per cent, down from 70.3 per cent a year earlier.

Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

[RafflesCity]

SIA takes delivery of Boeing 777-300ER jets

29 Nov 06

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) has taken delivery of its first two Boeing 777-300ER (extended range) planes from an order placed with the US manufacturer two years ago.
SIA ordered 19 B777-300ERs in August 2004 and the first six are to be delivered by year's end, the airline said in a statement on Wednesday.

The new planes will enter commercial service next month, flying to Paris, Hong Kong, Milan and Barcelona.

The 777-300ER's arrive as SIA awaits delivery of its first double-decker A380 superjumbo from Boeing rival Airbus.

SIA is set to be the first carrier to fly the A380 but delays in delivery have progressively pushed back the plane's arrival from early this year until October of next year.

SIA has ordered 19 of the Airbus superjumbos. -- AFP

[babystan03]

Nov 30, 2006
SIA gets 2 new luxury-fitted Boeings

By Aviation Correspondent, Karamjit Kaur

SEATTLE - THE wind chill plunged the mercury to minus 10 deg C, but a warm, festive spirit prevailed when Singapore Airlines (SIA) took delivery of two new Boeing 777-300ER planes at the manufacturer's facility here in the United States on Tuesday.

The airline has ordered 19 such planes, which come with wider seats, more legroom and bigger personal entertainment screens in all classes.

The planes will be put into service from Tuesday on the Singapore-Paris route, and the day after, on the Singapore-Hong Kong route.

By year-end, six of the planes would have arrived; by the middle of next year, passengers flying to Milan, Barcelona, Zurich, Seoul, San Francisco and Frankfurt will also be able to enjoy the roomier cabins and larger entertainment screens.

All 19 B777-300ERs, which cost SIA $570 million, will be delivered by 2008.

At the delivery ceremony, held partly outdoors where the two planes were berthed, SIA chief executive officer Chew Choon Seng said: 'The welcome has been a lot warmer than the weather.'

He added that SIA was 'proudly accepting' the new planes, which will bump up SIA's fleet of B777s to 60. The carrier has almost 100 planes in all.

Mr Chew, joined by Boeing's chief of commercial planes Scott Carson, was also 'particularly pleased' to unveil the aircraft's new fittings, which are unparalleled in 'space, comfort and functionality'. Seats in first class are 89cm across, 30cm more than now; those in business class are 76cm wide, 25cm more than now.

In economy class, where consumers are more price sensitive, less space has been added but legroom has been increased, and the personal entertainment screens are 10.6 inches wide, up from the current 6 inches.

For this extra comfort and luxury, passengers will pay about 10 to 20 per cent more.

This is to make up for the aircraft being able to fit in just 278 seats, compared to 322 in the similarly-sized B777-300, and 375 in the B747 jumbo, which now serves some of the routes the new plane will take over.

SIA will schedule more flights for these markets, to mop up excess demand.

Mr Chew is confident that passengers, especially premium travellers, will pay more for 'top-notch quality'.

Mr Chew was asked whether the airline was keen on the newer B747-8 - available after 2010 - since it was phasing out its B747 jumbos.

He replied that it would depend on whether rival Airbus can lick the production problems which have plagued its superjumbo A380 aircraft.

Mr Chew said: 'I think the B747-8 would be a lot more interesting to us should the A380 not make it into service. I don't think that will be an eventuality, but you'll never know.'

karam@sph.com.sg

Copyright ? 2006 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[babystan03]

Business Times - 05 Dec 2006

SIA's new B777-300ER begins flights today

(SINGAPORE) A NEW era in premium air travel begins today as Singapore Airlines' (SIA) first Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) aircraft embarks on its inaugural commercial flight from Singapore to Paris.

Fitted with an entirely new cabin, the new aircraft features the world's widest First and Business Class seats with fully flat beds, more spacious Economy Class seats, as well as a leading-edge KrisWorld inflight entertainment system with larger screens and more than 1,000 options, including the world's first inflight office application software.

'We have been receiving very positive feedback on our new products since they were launched in October and we thank all our customers for their support,' said Huang Cheng Eng, SIA's executive vice-president, marketing and the regions. 'Our new 777-300ERs offer a truly premium travel experience. With the aircraft joining our fleet, our customers can indulge in a cabin that promises enhanced personal space, luxury and comfort in all classes, and experience the new industry standard for premium air travel.'

SIA's next-generation cabin products, the result of a four-year development project that cost US$360 million, were unveiled in Singapore in October.

After the Paris service, the 777-300ER will operate on the Singapore-Hong Kong route from tomorrow, and on the Singapore-Milan-Barcelona route from Dec 20. The aircraft will be deployed next year to other key cities in Europe, Asia and the United States, such as Zurich, Frankfurt, Seoul and San Francisco.

Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

[babystan03]

Business Times - 08 Dec 2006

SIA ups flights to HK, Auckland, Bangalore

By VEN SREENIVASAN

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) has increased the number of flights to Auckland, Hong Kong and Bangalore to cater for higher travel demand, especially over the Christmas and New Year periods.

SIA will fly additional frequencies between Singapore and Auckland, New Zealand, during the year-end period. From early December 2006, the airline will operate an additional two weekly flights on Thursdays and Saturdays, between the two cities.

Frequencies will be further increased with an extra weekly flight, operating on Fridays, between early-January 2007 and end-February 2007. These supplementary flights will boost the total number of weekly flights to Auckland between December 2006 and February 2007 from 10 to 13.

In addition, SIA will operate an additional three weekly flights between Singapore and Hong Kong each week.

These extra flights, which operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, will be in effect until mid-January 2007.

From end-March 2007, SIA will increase its scheduled flights to the city with four more weekly flights. This brings the total number of weekly flights to the city to 42.

And in what appears to be a response to budget carrier Jetstar Asia's decision to pull out of Bangalore in India, the airline has increased its scheduled frequencies to the Indian city, with an additional flight operating on Tuesdays.

With the increase, the airline now flies six times weekly to Bangalore.

Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

[OshHisham]

SIA always fly higher than MAS...but i believe MAS under new CEO will take her higher. PEACE

[babystan03]

Dec 11, 2006
SIA may buy more B777-300ERs if needed

By Istanbul

ISTANBUL - SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA), Asia's largest carrier by market value, said it may buy more Boeing 777-300ERs so it can continue to grow if there are further delays with Airbus' A-380.

'B777-300ERs in our experience would be a useful alternative to A-380s,' chief executive officer Chew Choon Seng said in an interview in Istanbul on Saturday.

'We could upsize the order if there are further delays with the A-380,' he said.

SIA began taking delivery of six B777-300ERs last month and expects to have 10 in service by the middle of next year.

Mr Chew has said the 278-seat planes will mitigate part of the loss in capacity from the lack of A-380s. Other carriers, including Emirates and FedEx, have also turned to the B777-300ER to replace the A-380.

The Singapore-based airline has 10 firm orders for Airbus' 555-seat A-380, the world's biggest commercial aircraft, and said in July that it intended to buy nine more.

Since then, Airbus has pushed back the delivery date because of wiring problems, and the carrier does not expect to get the first of the planes until October next year, instead of this month as previously planned.

SIA placed a US$3.6 billion (S$5.6 billion) order in August 2004 for 18 B777-300ERs and has the option to buy 13 more.

Emirates, Airbus' biggest A-380 customer, in October said that it planned to lease at least five additional B-777s to help compensate for the shortfall in capacity caused by A-380 delivery delays.

FedEx, the largest air cargo company, said on Nov 7 that it would cancel its order for 10 freighter versions of the A-380 valued at as much as US$2.3 billion.

It will instead buy 15 B-777 freighters for as much as US$3.6 billion. It was the first order cancellation after the Toulouse, France- based Airbus pushed back its A-380 delivery schedule for a third time on Oct 3.

Earlier this month, Airbus promised Thai Airways that there would be no more delays in the delivery of its new A-380 superjumbos, as one of the planes headed to Bangkok to convince Thai Airways not to cancel its order for six aircraft.

The planemaker sent the world's largest aircraft on the special trip to Asia to visit Bangkok, after the Thai flagship carrier threatened to cancel its order and demanded compensation for the delays.

BLOOMBERG NEWS

CONTINGENCY PLAN

'B777-300ERs in our experience would be a useful alternative to A-380s. We could upsize the order if there are further delays with the A-380.'
MR CHEW, SIA's chief executive, on the carrier's plans to sustain growth

Copyright © 2006 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[babystan03]

Dec 16, 2006
Prized air route: Another glimmer of hope for SIA

By Karamjit Kaur

IT HAS always been the big prize and it has always been just out of reach for Singapore Airlines (SIA).

The route between Australia and the United States has long been a huge money-spinner for Australian airline Qantas - and a firmly closed shop for SIA.

It came close in September 2003 when Singapore and Australia signed an expanded air services deal. This gave SIA the green light to fly anywhere in Australia, with no restrictions on frequency and capacity - but a red light for the Pacific.

The years since have seen SIA's hopes continually raised then dashed, yet nothing has changed. The Pacific route remains a duopoly, monopolised by Qantas with a 75 per cent share. United Airlines takes the rest.

But now there is new hope in the unlikely form of a proposed A$11.1 billion (S$13.5 billion) Qantas buyout by Texas Pacific Group and Australia's Macquarie Bank.

SIA's argument - backed by some Australian politicians - is that with Qantas in private hands, there will no longer be a case to keep the Pacific route closed and protect the Australian flag carrier in the name of national interest. The only interest that will be served is private interest - partially Texan at that.

Seems simple. But given the history of Singapore-Australia air relations, SIA should be prepared for anything and perhaps in the end, nothing.

Singapore's air policy is clear - open skies and free competition is the only option if the country aims to establish itself as the premier air hub in the region.

When the 2003 agreement was sealed, Australia and Singapore reiterated that full liberalisation was the ultimate goal.

In November 2004, Australia's then-Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister John Anderson told the Australian Financial Review newspaper that his government would consider granting SIA unlimited access to Pacific routes within 12 to 18 months.

Three months later, another glimmer of hope. Singapore's then-Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong and Mr Anderson agreed to draw up a road map by the middle of last year that would let SIA on to the Pacific route.

There seemed good reason to pop the champers, but the joy was short-lived and it has been downhill for SIA since.

In February, the Australian Cabinet rejected Singapore's request for open skies.

It instead encouraged privately-owned Australian airline Virgin Blue to move ahead with plans to launch a transpacific service.

Australia's position is that it has little to gain from granting extra rights to SIA unless it can also get more landing rights in key destinations in Europe, Britain and Japan.

When Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Australia in June, he made another push, stressing that liberalisation would benefit all parties involved.

That was the last time the matter got an airing - until now.

Qantas, which reaps about 15 per cent of its net profit from the Sydney-Los Angeles route alone, has lobbied hard to keep SIA out.

The airline, with chief executive (CEO) Geoff Dixon leading the charge, claims that more competition will cost it as much as A$44 million a year in lost earnings - which could affect jobs.

SIA counters by saying that opening up the route would increase the number of travellers between Australia and the US by as much as 8 per cent and boost tourism receipts by more than A$110 million a year.

The proposed new owners of Qantas have said they will keep Mr Dixon as CEO so there is not going to be a let-up in pressure to keep SIA out of the transpacific route.

What could swing in SIA's favour is the fate of 37,000 Qantas employees. If the bid to trim fat and boost competitiveness costs jobs and sees work outsourced, Qantas could lose support.

Government senator Barnaby Joyce of Queensland is already hostile, saying of the buyout: 'You might as well put a lone star on the tail instead of the kangaroo.'

It is impossible to see how the saga will play out, given the political sensitivities.

But if nothing else, SIA, eyes still firmly on the prize, has another chance to push for its case.

Copyright © 2006 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[kongla]

^^ :lovethem: excellent SQ !!!!!

[babystan03]

Dec 19, 2006
S'pore Airlines hits record high on strong passenger, cargo traffic

By Lee Su Shyan

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) shares took off yesterday and reached a record high, buoyed by news of a bumper period for passengers and cargo last month.

Investors drove the stock up 80 cents to $17.90 and the 5.92 million shares traded was nearly three times higher than the average daily volume of two million seen over the past year.

SIA shares are now about 50 per cent higher than at the start of the year, easily outshining the 25 per cent rise in the Straits Times Index.

It has been a stellar month for the stock, given that it started December below $16.

The surging price has been driven by several factors.

SIA announced after the market closed on Friday that it filled an average 70 per cent of its combined passenger and cargo last month, compared with 69 per cent a year ago.

It has added new services - including to Karachi and Barcelona - with passenger load factors on all route regions showing improvements.

Cargo traffic also grew, with strong demand in the South-west Pacific and West Asia.

The shares also likely benefited from Friday's announcement that Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (Sale) had been sold to Bank of China for US$965 million (S$1.496 billion). SIA has a 35.5 per cent stake in Sale.

SIA told Bloomberg that the sale was part of a strategy to dispose of non-core assets and to focus on expanding its business of air transportation and related services.

Market sentiment has also been helped by renewed hope that SIA might gain a foothold in the lucrative Los Angeles- Australia route.

Kim Eng Securities said yesterday that 'SIA's share price has seen a sharp...rise, driven by speculation that the Australian government may liberalise the transpacific route.'

This follows the acceptance by Qantas Airways of a bid from a consortium of private investors which included Texas Pacific Group.

SIA also benefited from upgrades by DBS Vickers Securities, which called a 'buy' on the stock, compared with a 'hold' previously. DBS Vickers was positive on the demand for air travel and the outlook on fuel prices.

The last time SIA shares approached such heady levels was in 2000 but they were dragged down by rising fuel costs worries and terrorism fears affecting air travel.

Copyright © 2006 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[babystan03]

SIA to buy nine more A380 superjumbos
Posted: 20 December 2006 1722 hrs

SINGAPORE : Singapore Airlines is to buy nine more double-decker A380 aircraft from European aircraft maker Airbus, the carrier said Wednesday as it signed a deal announced in July.

The agreement includes an option for six more of the superjumbos.

"Singapore Airlines today signed agreements with Airbus for purchase of a further nine A380s, with six more options," the airline said in a statement. - AFP/ms

[paw25694]

what plane do sq use to fly to jakarta from sin?

[netsurfe]

what plane do sq use to fly to jakarta from sin?

a mix of B772, B773 and A345

[Subangite]

well done SIA!

[babystan03]

Jan 1, 2007
SIA promises more luxury with new aircraft
Bigger monitors, wider seats, more legroom but the airfares cost more

By Aviation Correspondent, Karamjit Kaur

WITH a 76-cm wide seat which unfolds into a flat bed, and a 15.4-inch personal LCD monitor, I was ready for luxury in business class.

But it was the small improvements and enhancements in economy that delighted me when I flew Singapore Airlines' new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to Hong Kong and back recently.

Like how the handset for the in-flight entertainment system was stowed below the screen instead of at the side of the armrest. Furthermore, boxes holding the equipment for the entertainment system - normally found under every seat - were removed, giving more legroom.

Even the headphones were better - not too rounded at the top so they fit more comfortably and with just one wire from the right side instead of two.

It all added to less clutter, less fuss and overall, a more pleasant flight.

Many passengers also enjoyed the 10.6-inch LCD monitors - about four inches bigger compared to normal screens in economy class.

Economy-class seats in the new Boeing aircraft are 48cm wide, just 2.5cm to 5cm more than the seats in other SIA planes. But it makes a difference and passengers get more legroom too because seat backs are a little thinner.

When a seat is reclined, it also moves forward slightly so as not to encroach too much into the space of the passenger behind.

Professor Phillip Kimble, 71, a 1.88m tall psychology lecturer at the California State University, Fresno, said: 'On other flights, I am used to having my knees knock against the seat in front but here, I still have some space left.'

He gave the new aircraft and SIA's $570 million bundle of new offerings, two thumbs up: 'It's one of the best planes I have ever flown in.'

SIA, which already has six of the 19 B777-300ERs it ordered, is counting on happy passengers like Prof Kimble to be willing to pay 10 to 20 per cent more in airfares for the extra comfort and luxury.

The plane which entered into commercial service on Dec 5, also flies to Paris, Milan and Barcelona currently.

The flight to and from Hong Kong was almost full, with only a handful of seats empty. It seemed as if passengers were quite happy to part with the extra cash, although not all knew when they booked their flights that they were paying more to fly in the new aircraft.

Marketing and business development manager Donald Goh, 43, who was travelling with his wife and 11-year-old son, paid more than $600 for each return economy ticket.

He said: 'I thought the fare was higher because it was peak season. Still, I have no complaints because I know I am paying for quality.'

Business-class passengers paid more than $2,500 each for a return flight.

The higher fares make up for the loss in capacity from all the extra space, especially for first and business class passengers.

SIA's B777-300ER aircraft can carry 278 passengers, compared to 332 in a similar-size aircraft.

Business-class seats are 76cm wide, or 25cm more than normal, and are arranged four abreast, instead of six in a similar-size aircraft.

They are almost like a private cubicle with sliding screens for the two passengers seated in the middle of each row, who are not separated by the aisle.

There is also new storage space near the LCD monitor and under the seat in front, and a personal mirror for that final hair and make-up check for women before landing.

The one thing I found a little annoying though, as did Mr Julian Claxton, 33, managing director of RISQ security management in Sydney, was that the seat reclined to a maximum of 130 degrees, compared to 180 degrees for SIA's existing spacebed in business class.

If you want to go any lower, you have to get up and manually to unfold the seat into a flat bed.

Once unfolded, the bed with a separate cover and extra pillow was more comfortable than business class seats in other SIA planes that become totally flat with the push of a button.

Mr Claxton said: 'Overall, I give this seat eight out of 10, and the other spacebed seven.'

Watching movies and playing games were more enjoyable with the bigger 15.4-inch LCD monitor.

The new products on SIA's B777-300ERs represent the airline's first major revamp of aircraft cabins in nearly a decade and aim to widen the service gap between it and its competition - such as British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific and Emirates.

Does SIA have a winning formula? My verdict after the Hong Kong trip, is that it does.

There are areas for improvement of course but as business-class traveller Paul Hill, 51, a New Zealander, said: 'I wish I could fly this aircraft all the way to Brisbane where I am going.'

karam@sph.com.sg

ROOM TO MOVE

'On other flights, I am used to having my knees knock against the seat in front but here, I still have some space left.'
PROFESSOR PHILLIP KIMBLE, who is 1.88m tall

Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved

[babystan03]

This story was printed from TODAYonline

Rolls-Royce gets SIA deal

Will provide maintenance service for engines of carrier's Boeing 777 fleet

Friday • January 12, 2007

Singapore Airlines (SIA), the world's biggest carrier by market value, signed an agreement for Rolls-Royce Group to provide engine-maintenance services for its fleet of 58 Boeing 777 aircraft.

United Kingdom-based Rolls-Royce, Europe's biggest aircraft-engine maker, will provide the services through a company partly owned by the carrier's plane maintenance unit, SIA said yesterday.

No financial details were revealed.

SIA is the world's biggest operator of Boeing's 777 planes. It began taking delivery of six extended-range 777-300ERs in November last year and expects to have 10 in service by the middle of this year.

Chief executive Chew Choon Seng said last month that the carrier might buy more Boeing 777 aircraft so that it could continue to grow if there are further delays in the delivery of Airbus' A380 superjumbo jets.

"The agreement builds on the long-standing relationship between SIA and Rolls-Royce," the carrier said in its statement.

As well as powering SIA's 58 Boeing 777 planes, Rolls-Royce's Trent 800 engines will also power five of its Airbus A340-500s.

Other models of the Trent family of engines will be used for the airline's 10 Airbus A380s and 19 Airbus A330-300s for delivery from 2009.

Shares of SIA ended up 10 cents, or 0.6 per cent, at $17.90 yesterday on the Singapore Exchange. The stock has risen 42 per cent in the past six months, compared with the 26 per cent gain in the Bloomberg Asia Pacific Airlines Index. — Bloomberg

Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

[phenom]

This story was printed from TODAYonline

Rolls-Royce gets SIA deal

Will provide maintenance service for engines of carrier's Boeing 777 fleet

Friday • January 12, 2007

......As well as powering SIA's 58 Boeing 777 planes, Rolls-Royce's Trent 800 engines will also power five of its Airbus A340-500s.........

— Bloomberg

Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

Will?? :nuts:
The first of SIA's Trent-powered "Leaderships" (this nick has since been dropped) was delivered more than 3 years ago and all five have been in service for almost 3 years now.
No other A340-500 is on SIA's order pipeline.

Btw, its the Trent 500 and not the 800 that powered the A345s. :nuts: :nuts:

[babystan03]

Jan 21, 2007
Singapore Girl 35 years later
Kasmah Abdul Hamid, the stewardess in SIA's first-ever ad, says it was pure luck that she was featured

By Nur Dianah Suhaimi

FORMER Singapore Airlines (SIA) stewardess Kasmah Abdul Hamid, 55, was back home for a two-week visit when she saw a picture of her 20-year-old self in the newspaper.

http://straitstimes.asiaone.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20070120/ST_IMAGES_NUSGIRL_8t.jpg

Last week, The Sunday Times featured SIA's first advertisement, released 35 years ago, along with a feature story asking whether it was time to retire the Singapore Girl icon.

The ad showed the profile of a young Asian woman with her lips parted slightly. 'This girl's in love with you,' the slogan gushed.

Ms Kasmah was that girl.

She quit SIA in 1979 when she married a German businessman.

Now she owns an interior decor shop in Germany and has two daughters, aged 25 and 21.

But all these years, Ms Kasmah had never known that particular ad was actually SIA's first.

She found out only when The Sunday Times told her in an interview last week.

'Other girls had their pictures taken for ads, too. We never thought very much about appearing in ads. It was just another part of the job,' she said.

As with many things in her life, she attributed her appearance in the historic ad to luck.

Born into a big family, Ms Kasmah - the fourth of nine children - was given an English education solely because the Malay school near her home had no vacancies.

Her father registered her at the next nearest school, which taught in English.

The rest of her siblings were educated in Malay schools.

After completing her O levels, she worked briefly as a bus warden, but the 19-year-old Kasmah wanted a proper job.

'Coincidentally, SIA was looking for stewardesses at that time. Since I could speak English, I just applied,' she said.

By chance, she wore a brown and white sarong kebaya and put on a wig for her job interview. Despite dropping her personal documents during the interview, she landed the job.

Just six months later, she was selected to be photographed for SIA's first ad. The photo shoot, which was conducted at the East Coast beach, took about three days.

'I was told to walk on the beach and look like I was in love,' she said.

'I was only 19 and came from a conservative Malay family. I had no idea about love or looking in love. So I just walked like a mule,' she said.

Many other photo shoots followed, and she lost track of how many of pictures of her became SIA ads.

The only ad poster she has today is one of her with a Siamese cat.

In the 1970s, when other kampung girls had little prospect of leaving the country, she got to see the world.

'In those days, the turnaround periods could stretch up to a week,' she said.

'I had time to take a train up to Oxford when SIA flew to London. When we flew to Osaka, I took a train to Kobe.'

Things changed after she met her future husband through a mutual friend in Dubai. Her erratic flying schedule and costly long-distance telephone calls prompted the couple to get married quickly.

She quit her job after the wedding and moved to Saudi Arabia, where her husband was working. The couple settled down in Germany in 1994.

Said Ms Kasmah: 'I cannot imagine how my life would have turned out if that Malay school my father first approached had a vacancy. I would not have been able to see the world.'

ndianah@sph.com.sg


'This 35-year-old icon has come a long way in bringing fame to our national airline. She definitely does not deserve to be chucked away like some old car that has outlived its use.'
SENIOR SALES CONSULTANT TAN LIN NEO, 48, giving her view on whether the Singapore Girl icon should be scrapped

Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Jan 21, 2007
Readers express support for SIA Girl

COMPANY CEOs, former flight stewardesses, expatriates and foreign visitors wrote to The Sunday Times last week to express their support for the Singapore Girl.

Their response was triggered by a Sunday Times feature last week, discussing whether the Singapore Girl should be shelved to make way for a more modern branding icon.

While women's groups and media academics say she represents the 'subservient Asian woman' stereotype, creative industry experts feel she should be given a makeover.

Online forums have also been flooded with discussions.

Many of those who wrote to The Sunday Times were appalled that some experts reommended scrapping the Singapore Girl.

Senior sales consultant Tan Lin Neo, 48, thinks the Singapore Girl deserves more respect.

'This 35-year-old icon has come a long way in bringing fame to our national airline. She definitely does not deserve to be chucked away like some old car that has outlived its use,' she said.

British expatriate and managing director Mark Carpenter, 43, never found Singapore Airlines' ads sexist or demeaning to women.

'In fact, my wife applauds the image of the Singapore Girl and loves the standards of perfection they set for their appearance,' he said.

Some readers are concerned that the kebaya, which has become an important part of the country's identity, will be junked.

Mr Michael Miller, a visitor from the UK, said it is irrelevant that no one in Singapore wears the kebaya any more.

'No one in London dresses like the beefeaters, the colourful guards at the Tower of London. Nor do our soldiers go into battle wearing uniforms like the Household Cavalry, but these two images are among the key attractions for visitors to London,' he said.

The problem with SIA is not the sarong kebaya but the ads, said Ms Cheryl Chong, founder of a Shanghai mobile phone content firm.

'The problem is the shallow portrayal of the Singapore Girl. The advertising for Singapore Airlines has become an embarrassment,' she said.

Despite wanting the Singapore Girl to stay, some do concede that her makeup needs an update.

Personal assistant Jessica Leong, 36, suggests something more subtle than the 'screaming red lipstick and over-the-top blue eyeshadow'.

However, former stewardess April Tan, 38, believes the Singapore Girl should not be touched.

'Some old things earn their authenticity through the years and are better kept as they are.'

Nur Dianah Suhaimi

Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[AFL]

I think I just found the very first Singapore Girl ad which Mrs. Kasmah appeared at:

http://www.timetableimages.com/i-s/singap8.jpg

Courtesy of:Björn Larsson and David Zekria

Visit their website at:http://www.timetableimages.com

[nazrey]

SIA passenger numbers dive in March
Published: 2009/04/17

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) said yesterday that passenger numbers plummeted in March as the global downturn continues to weigh on travel demand.

The airline carried 1.28 million people last month, down 23 per cent year-on-year, the company said in a statement.

It added that passenger load factor (PLF), how much seating capacity is used at a given period, fell 11.4 percentage points to 69.4 per cent.

"The current global economic slowdown has weakened travel demand," SIA said in the statement.

"Consequently, all route regions registered declines in PLFs," it said.

SIA reduced capacity by 9 per cent last month due to lower demand, with the airline using smaller planes and terminating flights to Los Angeles via Taipei and Osaka via Bangkok as well as the service to Amritsar in India.

It said cargo carried by the airline in March fell 18 per cent year-on-year and freight load factor dropped 4.3 percentage points to 58.5 per cent. - AFP

[RafflesCity]

Makeover for SIA's B777

16 Jul 09

A SEVERE business downturn which has hit its bottomline is not stopping Singapore Airlines from upgrading its product offerings.

The airline said on Thursday that seven of its Boeing 777-300s aircraft will get a makeover and be retrofitted with new seats and in-flight entertainment systems, among other improvements.

The work will be progressively done from now until year-end.

For competitive reasons, SIA did not want to reveal the upgrading costs.

As part of the changes, economy class seats will receive new covers.

In the premium classes, bigger seats and entertainment screens will replace the existing ones, the airline said.

In business class, for example, the entertainment screens will measure 15.4 inches, instead of just 6.5 inches now.

SIA said in a statement: 'The cabin renewal programme, launched in spite of the business challenges the world's airlines are facing, is an investment in improving our customers' travel experience.'

The changes are also being made in response to customer feedback, the airline said.

When upgraded, the aircraft will be deployed to Sydney and Shanghai, as well as to the Middle East.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_403942.html

[Excelsvr]

Makeover for SIA's B777

16 Jul 09

A SEVERE business downturn which has hit its bottomline is not stopping Singapore Airlines from upgrading its product offerings.

The airline said on Thursday that seven of its Boeing 777-300s aircraft will get a makeover and be retrofitted with new seats and in-flight entertainment systems, among other improvements.

The work will be progressively done from now until year-end.

For competitive reasons, SIA did not want to reveal the upgrading costs.

As part of the changes, economy class seats will receive new covers.

In the premium classes, bigger seats and entertainment screens will replace the existing ones, the airline said.

In business class, for example, the entertainment screens will measure 15.4 inches, instead of just 6.5 inches now.

SIA said in a statement: 'The cabin renewal programme, launched in spite of the business challenges the world's airlines are facing, is an investment in improving our customers' travel experience.'

The changes are also being made in response to customer feedback, the airline said.

When upgraded, the aircraft will be deployed to Sydney and Shanghai, as well as to the Middle East.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_403942.html

Oh my gosh, finally, but are they just replacing the seat covers for economy class? Cause you know, if you have nice seats but small screens, i dunno. Anyone can enlighten me here?

This is good news though.

[netsurfe]

^^
Im sure, by "new seats and in-flight entertainment systems" they meant the current products on board their 77W, A380 etc.

So the product is not that new.

[Excelsvr]

^^
Im sure, by "new seats and in-flight entertainment systems" they meant the current products on board their 77W, A380 etc.

So the product is not that new.

Well, definitely better than the old interior ;)

I'm hoping they introduce something new, for e.g. they introduced iPod connection on their A330 - but their 773ER and A380 don't have the iPod connection.

[nazri]

SIA cuts pay after S$307m loss
Friday July 31 2009

SINGAPORE, July 31 — Singapore Airlines (SIA) will cut staff pay by 10 per cent after unveiling a net loss of S$307 million (RM736.8 million) in the April-June quarter — only its second-ever quarterly loss. It had recorded a net profit of S$358.6 million in the same quarter last year.

The pay cuts, set to affect an estimated 12,000 staff, are based on a formula linked to losses agreed with staff unions.

Battered by an economic downturn that has dealt a severe blow to first- and business-class traffic in particular, the airline now fears it could end the financial year on March 31 in the red.

SIA, which went public in 1984, has never posted a full-year loss. Before this, it suffered a quarterly loss only once, of S$312 million when SARS hit in 2003.

SIA said yesterday: “The group's first-quarter performance reflected the adverse business conditions for airlines. If these conditions continue, the group expects to make a loss for the full year.”

Still, its cash balance remains strong and the airline does not foresee the necessity to raise capital, the statement said.

The twin impact of the economic slump and the H1N1 flu outbreak, as well as the cost of hedging fuel, hit revenues, which fell 30 per cent to S$2.87 billion in the three months to end-June compared with the same period a year earlier.

Expenditure was down 15.8 per cent to S$3.19 billion, but in the end, the group recorded an operating loss of S$319 million, against a profit of S$343 million last year.

The parent airline alone — excluding SilkAir and SIA Cargo, as well as subsidiaries SIA Engineering and Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats) — suffered a quarterly operating loss of S$271 million.

This is where it hits employees.

Under agreements that SIA has signed with its three unions, staff pay can shrink by between 2.5 per cent and 10 per cent if the airline reports an operating loss of at least S$50 million in any quarter. All of the monthly variable component (MVC), which makes up 10 per cent of an employee's total pay, gets cut if losses exceed S$200 million, as they have in this case.

The MVC cut will be effective for three months. For new cabin crew, who earn a basic salary of S$1,300 a month, for example, the cut amounts to about S$130. Top management, who are already earning between 10 per cent and 20 per cent less, with effect from this month, will not be subjected to more cuts, SIA said.

Union heads contacted by The Straits Times took the news in their stride.

Captain P. James, president of the Air Line Pilots Association-Singapore said: “When we inked the agreement, we were prepared for the possibility that the full 10 per cent of the MVC could go. Of course we were hoping it would not come to this but it has and we will honour the agreement. There are no two ways about it. We hope the company will continue in its relentless efforts to bring back business so that the cuts are temporary.”

Alan Tan, president of the SIA Staff Union, which represents cabin crew and other rank-and-file staff, said: ‘These are tough times and we have to look at the big picture. If we must cut salaries to save jobs, then we must. There is no choice.”

Still, it will be difficult for staff who are already on a shorter work month scheme which affects total pay, he said.

For cabin crew especially, more than half of their take home pay comes from allowances, so the less they fly, the less they earn. Now that the pay cuts will kick in, Tan said he will speak to management about restoring the normal roster.

SIA said yesterday that the steps taken so far to cut staff costs, as well as the new MVC cuts, will save it an estimated S$60 million in the current financial year.

Losses per share for the quarter were 26 cents, down from earnings per share of 30.3 cents a year earlier. Net asset value per share grew fell slightly to S$11.76 as at June 30 from S$11.78 as at March 31.

SIA shares closed 18 cents higher at S$13.52 yesterday. — The Straits Times

[nazri]

SIA not ruling out further reduction in capacity
Published: 2009/08/01

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA), the world's second-biggest carrier by market value, may consider further capacity cuts after saying it may have its first annual loss in 24 years.

"If the traffic drops off further and market conditions result in further discounting of fares, then we will have to review the situation," chief executive officer Chew Choon Seng said here yesterday. "If things hold at this level, then we will persevere and carry on."

The deepest recession since World War II and the spread of the swine flu pandemic cut travel and pushed SIA to its first quarterly loss in six years. It said on Thursday it will cut salaries for more than 12,000 employees after earlier reducing management pay and parking planes.

The carrier on Thursday reported it had a net loss of S$307 million (S$1 = RM2.44) in the quarter ended June, compared with a profit of S$358.6 million a year earlier, due to "adverse business conditions". If that prevails, the airline may have its first full-year loss since listing in 1985, it said.

The carrier said in February it will slash seat capacity 11 per cent and take 16 passenger planes out of its fleet beginning in April. The carrier has also altered its network and reduced the frequency of services such as its all-business class flights.

SIA flew 20 per cent fewer passengers in the three months ended June from a year earlier, and filled an average 71.6 per cent of available seats, lower than the 84.3 per cent it needed to break even, according to its statement on Thursday. - Bloomberg

[Go Ahead Eagles]

Singapore surrenders on US route

Matt O'Sullivan
August 10, 2009 .
SINGAPORE AIRLINES has stopped short of objecting to Virgin Blue's tie-up with US carrier Delta Air Lines on the Australia-US route, but has called for regulators to reconsider the planned deal if it leads to higher fares and fewer flights.

Singapore Airlines has long had ambitions to fly between Australia and the US but has recently resisted lobbying aggressively for authorities to open the route further amid a severe downturn in travel. It has little interest - in the short-term, at least - in entering a market that has gone from a cosy duopoly to an aggressive four-airline contest in less than a year.

Emphasising that liberalisation of the route has been ''left on the backburner'', Singapore Airlines said that the Virgin-Delta application should be reconsidered or the trans-Pacific opened to even more competition if it resulted in fewer flights or higher fares.

''If a partnership between airlines leads to fewer flights or an artificial floor on fares … then it begs the question if consumers would be better off from such an arrangement,'' the airline said in a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Air New Zealand and the Singapore Airlines-backed Tiger Airways have been vocal in their opposition to the deal, but Qantas, the biggest operator on the route, has said it would not oppose it.

Virgin and Delta unveiled plans last month to form a revenue-sharing agreement under which a steering committee would manage aircraft on the trans-Pacific route.

Delta has said it does not expect a decision from regulators in the US on its proposed tie-up for up to a year. Industry officials believe US regulators will prove the biggest hurdle to the deal.

The two airlines argue in filings to regulators that without the joint venture their ability to compete against Qantas and United Airlines across the Pacific will be ''considerably weakened''. They argue it will not reduce competition.

Australian governments have repeatedly rejected Singapore Airlines' attempts to gain entry to the route. But the Rudd Government has been careful not to publicly show its hand on whether it supports the entry of airlines from other countries, such as Singapore Airlines.


http://business.theage.com.au/business/singapore-surrenders-on-us-route-20090809-ee7d.html

[ddes]

^^I don't understand. Why doesn't SQ uprightly object? Qantas, I can understand, because they probably don't want to invite Virgin Blue objecting to its joint venture with BA.

[nazrey]

SIA offers option for older staff to retire early
Monday August 17 2009

SINGAPORE, Aug 15 — Singapore Airlines (SIA) is offering older staff the option to retire early – the latest in a slew of measures to trim excess manpower and costs.

The voluntary scheme, subject to company approval, is open to Singapore-based employees aged 50 and above, who have been with the airline for at least 15 years.

In all, more than 1,000 are eligible, said SIA spokesman Nicholas Ionides in response to queries from The Straits Times. They comprise support staff, administrative officers, managers and above, as well as pilots, he said.

Successful applicants will receive a lump sum depending on their age, Mr Ionides said, without giving further details.

The Straits Times understands that the company has set a cap of between 22 and 25 months’ pay on the total payout. This means that a captain who earns about S$10,000 (RM24,300), for example, could receive over S$250,000.

It is believed that some of the unions are now in negotiations with management to increase the cap.

When contacted, Mr Alan Tan, president of the SIA Staff Union, which represents cabin crew and other rank-and-file staff, declined to comment.

A staff member who did not want to be identified said: “In the end, we have to decide for ourselves if the scheme is worthwhile. For someone in his early 50s, it may not make sense but another guy with two or three years more to go might think differently.”

SIA’s offer comes just weeks after the airline, hit by a global recession which has impacted travel demand, reported a S$307 million loss for the April to June quarter. The last time it made a three-month loss was in 2003 when SARS struck.

Back then, early retirement was also offered but SIA would not say how many people opted for the scheme at the time.

To cope with the current crisis, the airline plans to ground 16 aircraft and cut capacity by 11 per cent in the 12 months to March next year. A few aircraft have already been taken out of the operating fleet.

Apart from this latest initiative, other measures already in place include a shorter working month scheme, voluntary no-pay leave as well as pay cuts.

Management took the lead with cuts of up to 20 per cent. For all other staff, pay has been cut by 10 per cent, with effect from this month. The company said recently that the steps taken so far to cut staff costs will save it an estimated S$60 million in the current financial year, which ends in March next year.

Industry experts say that while there are some signs that the crisis could be bottoming out, recovery is not expected until next year.

For carriers like SIA that depend on first- and business-class travellers for almost half their revenues, the challenge is to win back customers, who as a result of the crisis, have either downgraded to economy class or to other less expensive airlines, including budget carriers. – Straits Times

[Go Ahead Eagles]

Bomb Threat on Singapore Airlines Flight Sparks Probe

By Ed Johnson

Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Australian police are investigating a bomb threat against a Singapore Airlines Ltd. flight to Melbourne today, the airline and police said.

The carrier’s call center in Mumbai received a telephone call from someone claiming there was a bomb on board a flight from Singapore to Melbourne International Airport, airline spokeswoman Susan Bredow said by telephone.

Crew members on board flight SQ227 were alerted and carried out safety checks, she said. They determined the call was a hoax and informed passengers about an hour before the aircraft landed at 6 a.m. local time that a threat had been made, Bredow added.

The Boeing 747-400 aircraft, carrying 190 passengers and 20 crew members, landed safely, she said. As a precaution, safety checks were carried out on a later Singapore to Melbourne flight, SQ237, which also landed safely, the airline said in an e-mailed statement.

After both planes landed, “detailed security checks confirmed that the threat was a hoax,” the airline said.

The Australian Federal Police said it was notified of the bomb threat at about 2:15 a.m. and was investigating.

[nazrey]

SIA delays A380 jetliner deliveries
Published: 2009/09/04

SINGAPORE: Recession-hit Singapore Airlines (SIA) said yesterday it had agreed with Airbus to defer the delivery of eight A380 superjumbo jetliners by six to 12 months.

The airline, which posted its first quarterly loss in six years during the June quarter, already has nine A380s in operation with two more due for delivery in the current financial year.

"The revised schedule will see the 12th aircraft delivered in October 2010 rather than April 2010, while the 19th aircraft will be delivered in January 2012 rather than January 2011," the airline said in a statement.

SIA said in July it lost S$307.1 million (S$1 = RM2.45) in the April to June period. - AFP

[siamu maharaj]

So SIA already has 9 of them! I didn't know that. Where do they fly them to?

[netsurfe]

LHR
CDG
SYD
MEL
NRT
HKG

[nazrey]

Good old days may be over for SIA
Monday September 14 2009

SINGAPORE, Sept 13 – One year after the global economy went into a tailspin, taking with it the airline business, the global carriers appear to be levelling out from their steep dive.

True, business is nowhere near where it was a year ago, but demand for air travel is slowly picking up. There is no doubt that the industry will recover. But the good old days may be over for top-tier carriers like Singapore Airlines (SIA) which made hay by living off the front-end of the cabin, earning as much as 40 per cent of their revenues from first- and business-class customers.

The last 12 months have been rough for SIA and others like it.

Many travellers have downgraded from business to “cattle class”, and from premium to cheaper carriers.

Investment bankers – planeloads of them used to fill SIA’s Airbus 345 aircraft on its non-stop flights to Los Angeles and New York – are out of work or have taken hefty cuts in pay and perks.

Companies have slashed travel budgets and trimmed costs, for example, by extending the number of flying hours required to enjoy a business- class seat, or moving to an economy class-only policy.

The competition is also catching up.

Whereas low-cost carriers like AirAsia, Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways once drew mostly budget travellers, they now see briefcase-toting folk in shirt and tie.

This trend prompted American Express to add AirAsia to its list of partner carriers – its first such tie-up with a low-cost carrier. Flyers can now use their Amex card to pay for AirAsia flights.

Peter Kapoor, Amex’s regional vice-president of merchant services, said recently: “Within our customer base, there are corporations that find budget carriers relevant, given the current economic recession and the recent opening up of more shuttle flights between Singapore and Malaysia.”

Aviation analyst Shukor Yusof of Standard & Poor’s Equity Research believes that even when the storm passes, it would be foolhardy to think people will go back to the way things were.

Companies that have changed their travel policies see the benefits to the bottom line, and travellers who have “gone low-cost” find it is not so bad after all.

Shukor said: “The business landscape has changed considerably; I don’t see things ever being the same again.”

Jetstar Asia seeto think so too and is thinking about going long-haul, thus joining Malaysia-based AirAsia X which took to the skies two years ago. The latter currently flies between Kuala Lumpur and destinations in Australia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, the Middle East and Europe.

Even the experts who are more optimistic about premium airlines’ prospects, like Berthold Trenkel, Asia-Pacific president of travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel, expect that it will take three years at least before things rebound to pre- crisis levels.

Going forward, the challenge for SIA is not just to fill seats. There will always be a market for top-end carriers and nobody really expects them to fall from the sky.

The bigger challenge is to attract travellers who will pay the premium fares that the airline charges.

In its latest report on the health of the premium air travel market, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said that in June, first- and business-class ticket sales fell by 21.3 per cent compared to the same month last year.

The good news is that the fall was less steep than the 23.6 per cent drop in May.

However, the better results were achieved at the expense of much lower yields as airlines sought to boost cash flow by making more cheaper seats available.

Iata’s data shows that revenues from this segment are about 40 per cent lower, year-on-year.

Trenkel, who flew SIA to Paris recently, paid about $5,500 for his return business-class ticket, more than $1,000 cheaper than the fare a year ago.

While views differ on the long-term impact of the current crisis on high-end carriers, experts agree that airlines will have to work very hard to recover their lost business – traffic and yield-wise.

At the operational level, efforts are ongoing at SIA to cut costs and better manage the business.

The airline has introduced a slew of measures, from voluntary leave to compulsory no-pay leave, shorter working months and pay cuts, to deal with the downturn.

To better match demand with capacity, it also plans to ground 16 aircraft in the current financial year, which ends on March 31 next year.

SIA will also defer delivery schedules for its last eight Airbus A380 superjumbos, by up to a year.

The airline, which already has nine of the double-decker giants flying, will collect another two before the end of next March, as planned.

But over and above all these moves, SIA needs to think long and hard about whether its business model and strategies are sustainable in the long term.

Post-crisis, will there still be a market for the all-business-class flights to the United States, for example?

Will people pay $20,000 to fly to London in a private suite on the A380, given that a first-class ticket on another equally high-class carrier costs about half that amount?

Instead of putting all its eggs in the premium basket, the airline could focus more on Tiger Airways – which it owns 49 per cent of – to cash in on the growing low-cost travel market.

Ditto for its regional arm SilkAir. In the financial year just ended, Tiger and SilkAir contributed only about $40 million of SIA Group’s total operating profit of $904 million.

SIA could also do more to engage loyal customers and keep them happy. Whether this is by making it easier for people to redeem their miles – which some say is becoming increasingly troublesome with SIA – or embracing new media like Facebook and Twitter, the airline cannot afford to take customer loyalty for granted.

Industry analysts say the situation is dire. SIA, which lost $307 million in the April-June quarter, could be looking at a full-year loss this financial year. If that were to happen, it will be the first since the company went public in 1984.

As the world starts to recover from the economic meltdown and countries claw their way out of the recession, the real challenge has only just begun for SIA. The aim is not just to fly, but to soar. – The Straits Times

[peacedot]

Had a flight of SilkAir before from Kunming to Singapore years ago, mostly later by American airlines, the big difference between American airlines and Asian airlines is there are a fair amount of senior flight attendants on American airlines than Asian airline, most Asian airlines are all beautiful girls and some outstanding good looking guys, what is that?

[netsurfe]

^^
Most Asians do not consider the FA job as lifelong career. Most do it for just a few years, to see the world, to make experience. After that, they are off to another career.

[koresh]

Singapore Airlines

click to see bigger photo

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/4/4/3/01670344.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01670344)

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/2/7/3/01670372.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01670372)

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/0/7/3/01670370.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01670370)

[nazrey]

OSK revises downward SIA's projections
Published: 2009/10/16

SINGAPORE International Airlines's operating statistics for September this year continue to suggest that the worst may be over but the threat posed by downtrading in air travel and poor premium traffic still lingers, research house OSK Research said.

OSK said in an analysis of the island-state's national carrier that it was prompted to revise downward the airline's projections as the company would carry on with its aggressive pricing and capacity management.

"Nonetheless, we have decided to roll over our valuation to FY3/11 based on the existing valuation parameters of 0.85x P/B, or -1 standard deviation from its historical trading band, plus the SATS share entitlement, which translates into a new fair value of SG$11.98," it said. This implies a downside of 17.2 per cent.

SIA, the national airline of Singapore , is among the world's most profitable airlines.

Its major shareholder is the government's investment arm, Temasek Holdings (Pte) Ltd, which has a 55.49 per cent stake in the airline.

SIA’s system-wide passenger load factor improved to 80.9 per cent in September, up 4 per cent year-on-year and 2.6 per cent higher month-on-month, but this was mainly attributed to a combination of capacity cuts and promotional fares.

Premium passenger numbers remained fragile, with corporate flying being held back by a very modest rise in cross-border business activities.

During the month, OSK said the overall number of passengers carried by SIA dipped 10 per cent over the same month last year to 1.4 million.

The airline is monitoring traffic movements and making the appropriate adjustments to match capacity to forward demand.
"We have witnessed a constant cargo load factor (CLF) since SIA implemented aggressive capacity management," said OSK.

In September, system-wide cargo capacity fell 17.3 per cent y-o-y while cargo traffic (freight tonne km) declined by 14.5 per cent, which translates into 63.2 per cent in CLF.

"While economies across the globe begin to see signs of recovery, which is positive to cargo numbers, we are conservative on the possibility of the division returning to the black in FY10," OSK said.

"The latest operating statistics reaffirm our view that worst may be over for SIA, but we continue to think the gestation period for premium airlines like SIA make take longer to return to their days of glory," said OSK.

Recent news reports quoting SIA’s CEO as saying there were “double digit” decline in yields in the quarter ended September prompt us to cut our revenue passenger km (RPK) estimates from 11 to 10.5 cents for FY10 but by a mere 0.1 cent for FY11.

"We believe that downtrading from business to economy class travel and from premium class to low cost carriers (LCCs) may persist."

"However, as the carrier has decided to stick to its plan to reduce capacity by 11 per cent through March 2010 to fill up seats, we are tuning up our systemwide load assumption by 1.5 percent for FY10 to 76 per cent and one percent for FY11 to 77.5 percent," it said.

[Oasis-Bangkok]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1298/560580944_fd8013ffd7_o.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7551533@N02/560580944/sizes/o/

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3134/2845853643_d6b7d6c417_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/premshree/2845853643/sizes/l/

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/151/435304607_3b9528e9fc_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannergyde/435304607/sizes/l/

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1217/1234888393_bbebfc84a2_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10261531@N05/1234888393/sizes/l/

[koresh]

Singapore Airlines B777-212ER

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/9/8/9/01674989.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01674989)

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/1/9/9/01674991.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01674991)

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/7/8/9/01674987.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01674987)

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/2/8/9/01674982.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01674982)


http://myaviation.net/photos/small/8/7/9/01674978.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01674978)

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/5/7/9/01674975.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01674975)

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/1/3/6/01674631.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01674631)


http://myaviation.net/photos/small/5/2/6/01674625.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01674625)

[koresh]

Singapore Airlines A380


http://myaviation.net/photos/small/3/1/2/01677213.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01677213)

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/6/7/1/01677176.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01677176)


http://myaviation.net/photos/small/3/7/1/01677173.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01677173)

[koresh]

Singapore Airlines

copyright: Koresh

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/0/5/9/01680950.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01680950)

http://myaviation.net/photos/small/7/4/9/01680947.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01680947)


http://myaviation.net/photos/small/1/2/9/01680921.jpg (http://myaviation.net/?pid=01680921)