Summary:
- Singapore Airlines introduced new cabin products on 18-Dec-2017 as the first of five new A380s were placed into service;
- Other milestones for Singapore Airlines in 2017 included completing a merger of its two LCC subsidiaries, adjusting its commercial strategy and opening a transformation office;
- Singapore Airlines has another big year planned for 2018 as it takes delivery of 787-10s, introduces a new regional business class product and resumes nonstop flights to New York and Los Angeles.
The first of five new A380s was delivered to SIA on 13-Dec-2017 and placed into service on the Singapore-Sydney route on 18-Dec-2017. The aircraft is the first to be fitted with SIA's new business class seat and Suites product.
SIA is taking delivery over the next year of five new A380s in a new 471-seat four class configuration. These will be the first five aircraft to feature its new long haul premium cabin products and replace its five oldest A380s, which are being returned to lessors. SIA will subsequently retrofit 14 A380s with the cabin products.
"The Airbus A380 is a favourite among our customers and we are especially proud to be taking the travel experience to the next level with our new cabin products," stated Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong. "The new products are being introduced after four years of development work and we are confident they will truly 'wow' our customers, ensuring that we continue to provide them an unparalleled travel experience. The significant investment demonstrates our long-term approach to ensure we continue to lead the industry, and our confidence in the future of premium full-service air travel."
Other milestones for SIA in 2017 included:
- Launching flights to Stockholm, which became its fifteenth destination in Europe
- Upgrading several routes to the A350 as SIA took delivery of another 11 A350s
- Merging low cost subsidiaries Tigerair and Scoot, leading to an improved position at the bottom end of the market
- Delivery of the first 737 MAX 8 aircraft to full service regional subsidiary SilkAir, enabling the launch of longer narrowbody routes starting with Hiroshima
- Implementing a new joint venture with Lufthansa covering the Southeast Asia-Europe market
- Adopting a new commercial approach by implementing a new revenue management system, centralising sales and abolishing fuel surcharges
- Opening a transformation office which has started to identify new measures for reducing costs and enhancing revenues
SIA has another busy year planned for 2018. The airline will continue with the roll out of new long-haul cabin products as it takes delivery of another four A380s and begins retrofitting existing A380s. SIA's A380 fleet will be maintained at 19 aircraft but capacity is increasing as the airline transitions the entire fleet to the new 471-seat configuration, replacing the current combination of 441 seat and 379 seat aircraft.
SIA will also introduce new medium-haul cabin products 2018 as it takes delivery of its first batch of 787-10s. SIA is the launch operator for the 787-10 and is slated to take delivery of the first aircraft in 2Q2018.
In 2H2018, SIA plans to take delivery of new A350-900ULR aircraft and resume nonstop flights to New York and Los Angeles. These aircraft will likely feature the same new business class seats that are being introduced in the A380 while the A350-900 (non-ULR) and 777-300ER continue to feature the previous generation which was introduced in 2013. The cabin products on the A380s that are being retrofitted were initially introduced in late 2006.
SIA will also finally complete in 2018 the premium economy retrofit programme on the 777-300ER fleet. SIA introduced premium economy in 2015 and has since gradually rolled out the product to more routes as aircraft have been retrofitted and new long-haul aircraft have been delivered. By the end of 2018, SIA will have premium economy on more than 70 aircraft including its entire A350, A380 and 777-300ER fleets. The new 787-10 will not have premium economy but feature a new regional lie flat business class seat, representing a significant improvement over the angled flat seat now installed on the SIA's regional fleet.