Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines (SIA)

IATA ICAO Callsign SQ SIA SINGAPORE
Founded	1947 (as Malayan Airways)
Hubs	Singapore Changi Airport
Frequent-flyer program	KrisFlyer PPS Club
Alliance	Star Alliance
Subsidiaries	Singapore Airport Terminal Services SIA Engineering Company SilkAir Singapore Airlines Cargo Singapore Flying College
Fleet size	95 (+84 orders, 59 options)
Destinations	65
Headquarters	Singapore
Key people	Chew Choon Seng (CEO)
Website	http://www.singaporeair.com

Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) (Chinese: 新加坡航空公司; pinyin: Xīnjiāpō Hángkōng Gōngsī, abbreviated 新航; Malay: Syarikat Penerbangan Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் ஏர்லைன்ஸ்) (SGX: C6L ) is the national airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Singapore Changi Airport and has a presence in the airline markets of Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and the competitive "Kangaroo Route" between Europe and Oceania. The company also operates trans-Pacific flights, including two of the world's longest non-stop commercial flights from Singapore to Newark, New Jersey and Los Angeles, California on the Airbus A340. Singapore Airlines is known for being the launch customer of the superjumbo Airbus A380.

SIA has diversified into airline related businesses such as aircraft handling and engineering. Its wholly owned subsidiary, SilkAir, manages regional flights to secondary cities with smaller capacity requirements. Subsidiary Singapore Airlines Cargo operates SIA's dedicated freighter fleet manages the cargo hold capacity in SIA's passenger aircraft. SIA has a 49% shareholding in Virgin Atlantic and has also responded to the threats posed by the low-cost sector by investing a 49% stake in Tiger Airways. Singapore Airlines Limited is the world's second largest carrier by market capitalisation. It ranks amongst the top 15 carriers worldwide in terms of revenue passenger kilometres, is the 8th largest airline in Asia and ranked 6th in the world for international passengers carried.

Singapore Airlines was ranked 17th in Fortune's World’s Most Admired Companies rankings in 2007) and has built up a strong brand name as a trendsetter in the aviation industry, particularly in terms of innovation, safety and service excellence, coupled with consistent profitability. It has won numerous awards and accolades and is an industry bellwether for aircraft purchases. The airline was Asia's first and the world's third airline to be accredited by IATA with the IOSA (IATA Operations Safety Audit)..

History

Early history

An Airspeed Consul (VR-SCD) - the first aircraft type operated by Malayan Airways, which was the forerunner of Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines began with the incorporation of Malayan Airways Limited (MAL) on 12 October 1947, by the Ocean Steamship Company of Liverpool, the Straits Steamship Company of Singapore and Imperial Airways. The airline's first flight was a chartered flight from the British Straits Settlement of Singapore to Kuala Lumpur on 2 April 1947 using an Airspeed Consul twin-engined airplane. Regular weekly scheduled flights quickly followed from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang from 1 May 1947 with the same aircraft type. The airline continued to expand during the rest of the 1940s and 1950s, as other British Commonwealth airlines (such as BOAC and Qantas Empire Airways) provided technical assistance, as well as assistance in joining IATA. By 1955, Malayan Airways' fleet had grown to include a large number of Douglas DC-3s, and went public in 1957. Other aircraft operated in the first two decades included the Douglas DC-4 Skymaster, the Vickers Viscount, the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, the Bristol Britannia, the de Havilland Comet 4 and the Fokker F27.

When Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak formed the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, the airline's name was changed, from "Malayan Airways" to "Malaysian Airlines" (though still abbreviated to MAS). MAS also took over Borneo Airways. In 1966, following Singapore's separation from the federation, the airline's name was changed again, to Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA). The next year saw a rapid expansion in the airline's fleet and route, including the purchase of MSA's first Boeing aircraft, the Boeing 707s, as well the completion of a new high-rise headquarters in Singapore. Boeing 737s were added to the fleet soon after.

MSA ceased operations in 1972, when political disagreements between Singapore and Malaysia resulted in the formation of two entities: Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines System. Singapore Airlines kept all 10 of MSA's Boeing 707s and 737s, retained the international routes out of Singapore as well as the existing corporate headquarters in the city. Female flight attendants continued to wear the sarong kebaya uniform, which had been first introduced in 1968. A local start up advertising company, Batey Ads was given the right to market the airline, eventually selecting the sarong and kebaya-clad air stewardesses as an icon for the airline and calling them Singapore Girls.

Modern history

A Boeing 707-338C freighter at Zurich Airport in 1979. The aircraft was delivered on 20 November 1972, and was SIA's ninth Boeing 707 aircraft.

A Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400, dubbed Megatop, at Auckland International Airport. The Megatop was the flagship of the airline from 1989 until the introduction of the Airbus A380 in October 2007

Singapore Airlines is currently the only operator of the Airbus A380 in commercial service.

Singapore Airlines saw rapid growth during the 1970s, adding cities in the Indian subcontinent and Asia to its 22-city network, and adding Boeing 747s to its fleet. The 1980s saw the addition of the United States, Canada, and European cities to the airline's route map, with Madrid becoming the first Hispanic city to be served by SIA.

Boeing 747-400s were introduced into the SIA fleet in 1989 and named Megatops. They were later complemented by Boeing 777s, Airbus A310s and Airbus A340s. Services were extended to southern Africa in the 1990s, when the airline began flights to Johannesburg in South Africa. The cities of Cape Town and Durban were subsequently introduced to the route network.

In 2004, SIA began non-stop trans-Pacific flights from Singapore to Los Angeles and Newark, utilising the Airbus A340-500. These flights marked the first non-stop air services between Singapore and the USA. The Singapore to Newark flight set a record, which it still holds, as the longest scheduled commercial flight, with a flying time of over 18 hours each way.

On September 29 2000, SIA announced an order for 25 Airbus A3XX (as the A380 was known at the time). The US$8.6 billion order comprised a firm order of 10 aircraft, with options on another 15 airframes. The order was confirmed by Singapore Airlines on July 12 2001. In April 2004, SIA announced that they will launch A380 service on flights between Sydney and Singapore and onwards to London, creating the first A380 service on the kangaroo route.

In January 2005, the airline unveiled the slogan "First to Fly the A380 - Experience the Difference in 2006", to promote itself as the world's first airline to take delivery of the A380-800, which was expected to take place in the second quarter of 2006. In June 2005, Airbus confirmed that due to unforeseen technical problems, initial deliveries of the Airbus A380 would be delayed by up to six months, with the first delivery now slated for November 2006. The announcement was met with fury by SIA's chief executive officer, Chew Choon Seng, who threatened to sue Airbus, saying:

Airbus took some time to acknowledge the delay in the timetable for the A380's entry into service...I would have expected more sincerity.

He further stated that SIA will be turning its attention to Boeing instead, since it would be receiving the Boeing 777-300ER before the A380. Nevertheless, SIA has indicated that this would not affect its promotional campaign.

In February 2006, the first A380 in full Singapore Airlines livery was flown to Singapore, where it was displayed at Asian Aerospace 2006. On June 14, 2006, Singapore Airlines placed an initial order for the Boeing 787 as part of its future aircraft expansion. The order consisted of 20 787-9s and rights for 20 more. This order came one day after Airbus announced that the A380 superjumbo would be delayed by another 6 months.

Upon completion of a review of the A380 program on 3 October 2006, the new CEO of Airbus, Christian Streiff, announced a third delay for delivery of the first A380 to Singapore Airlines. The largest delay yet, it pushed the first delivery of a single A380 aircraft to Singapore Airlines in October 2007.

At a Cabinet meeting on 22 February 2006, the Government of Australia decided not to grant fifth freedom rights to Singapore Airlines on flights from Australia to the United States. Singapore Airlines had argued that transpacific flights from Australia suffered from under-capacity, leading to limited competition and relatively high air fares. However, in December 2007, SIA again expressed an interest in requesting fifth freedom rights from the newly elected Labor government.

On 25 October 2007, the first commercial A380 service, flight number SQ 380, flew 455 passengers from Singapore to Sydney, touching down in Kingsford Smith International Airport at 5:24 pm local time, where it received significant attention from the media. The airline donated all revenue generated from the flight to three charities in a ceremony the next day in Sydney. SIA began regular services with the A380 on 28 October 2007.

Incidents & accidents

File:Sq6 wreckage.jpg

Wreckage of SQ006.

• On 26 March 1991, Singapore Airlines Flight 117, an Airbus A310-300 flying from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, was hijacked in mid-flight. The aircraft was stormed by the Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation the following morning and the four Pakistani hijackers, who were armed with nothing more dangerous than fireworks and in-flight cutlery, were killed. None of the passengers nor crew were injured.

• On 31 October 2000, Singapore Airlines Flight 006, a Boeing 747-400 (registration 9V-SPK) flying from Singapore to Los Angeles via Taipei, hit runway equipment while attempting to take off on a closed runway at the Chiang Kai Shek International Airport. The collision killed 83 out of the 179 people on board. See main article.

Corporate management

Singapore Airlines is the parent airline company of the Singapore Airlines Group of companies. The Singapore government investment and holding company, Temasek Holdings is the majority shareholder with 54% shareholding. The Singapore government has regularly stressed its non-involvement in the management of the company, a point emphasised by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew when he declared that the aviation hub status of Singapore Changi Airport will be defended, even at the cost of SIA. However, he was personally involved in defusing tensions between the company and its pilots, warned the airline to cut costs, and made public his advice to the airline to divest from its subsidiary companies. Still, independent research typically rates the airline as practicing sound corporate governance policies in accordance with national regulations. In the lead up to the conclusion of the Open Skies Agreement with the United Kingdom on 2 October 2007, the Singapore aviation authorities referred to the airline's audited annual reports to dispel the notion that SIA receives state funding, subsidies or preferential treatment from the government, despite being a Government-linked company.

Structure

Main article: Singapore Airlines subsidiaries

Singapore Airlines has diversified over the years in related industries and sectors, including ground handling, aircraft leasing, aviation engineering, air catering, and tour operations. It has also restructured itself by hiving off operational units as fully-owned subsidiaries to maintain its core business as a premium passenger airline. The Singapore Airlines Group comprised of 25 subsidiary companies, 32 associated companies, and two joint venture companies in the financial year ending 31 March 2007. SIA sold all its equity share of 35.5% in a joint venture, Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise, to the Bank of China for US$980m on 15 December 2006. There have recently been suggestions to divest SIA Engineering Company and Singapore Airport Terminal Services, two of SIA's largest subsidiaries. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, for one, voiced his opinion in December 2005 that Singapore Airlines should divest these two companies to focus on its core business of air transportation. Although Singapore Airlines has evaluated the divestment opportunity, no tentative plan has been announced to date.

Major companies in Singapore Airlines Group include:

Company	Type	Principal activities	Incorporated in	Group's Equity Shareholding (31 March 2007)
International Engine Component Overhaul Private Limited	Joint venture	Aircraft overhaul	Singapore	41%
SIA Engineering Company Limited	Subsidiary	Engineering	Singapore	81.9%
SilkAir (Singapore) Private Limited	Subsidiary	Airline	Singapore	100%
Singapore Aero Engine Services Private Limited	Joint venture	Engine overhaul	Singapore	41%
Singapore Airlines Cargo Private Limited	Subsidiary	Cargo airline	Singapore	100%
Singapore Airport Terminal Services Limited	Subsidiary	Holding company	Singapore	81.9%
Singapore Flying College Private Limited	Subsidiary	Flight school	Singapore	100%
Tiger Airways Private Limited	Associate	Low-Cost Airline	Singapore	49%
Virgin Atlantic Limited	Associate	Holding company	United Kingdom	49%

Operational investments

The airline has attempted to invest in other airlines in a bid to expand beyond its Singapore base, although the results are often financially negative. In 1989, it went into a tripartite alliance with Delta Air Lines and Swissair, but terminated their partnership in 1999 after divesting their 5% equity stake in each other's company. The airline purchased 25% of Air New Zealand in 2000. However following the near collapse of Air New Zealand the New Zealand government bought into the airline to rescue it from bankruptcy, reducing Singapore Airlines' stake to 4.5%. This was subsequently sold in October 2004 at a substantial loss.

SIA bought a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways on 30 March 2000 worth 600 million pounds in cash in the hope of leveraging on it on the lucrative transatlantic market, but by 2007, there has been reports of underperformance and the possibility of divesting its stake. In September 2004, the airline established low-cost carrier Tiger Airways with a 49% stake, in partnership with Indigo Partners LLC, the investment firm founded by Bill Franke, (24%); Irelandia Investments Limited, the private investment arm of Tony Ryan and his family, (16%); and Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd (11%).

On 2 September 2007, the airline concluded its purchase of a 15.7% stake in China Eastern Airlines, with Temasek Holdings holding another 8.3% in the Chinese airline, pending shareholder approval. A successful deal would have seen China Eastern Airline's parent company, China Eastern Holdings, shareholding drop to 51% from 59.7% and give SIA the right to nominate two members on China Eastern Airline's management board. The deal, worth 7.2 billion Hong Kong Dollars, would have involved SIA buying 1.24 billion shares at 3.80 Hong Kong dollars a share and caused a major rally in China Eastern Airline's shares, which rose 83.91% to reach 6.86 Hong Kong dollars one day after the announcement of the deal.

SIA's impending entry into the Chinese market prompted Cathay Pacific to launch an unsuccessful attempt to block the deal by buying a significant stake in China Eastern Airlines and voting down the deal together with Air China, which already holds an 11% stake in the airline. Air China's holding company China National Aviation Holding Company persisted in opposing the deal however, saying the sale price was too low, and expressed its intentions to put up a bid at HK$5 a share should minority shareholders vote down the deal. SIA's refusal to increase its bid prior to the shareholders meeting on 8 January 2008 led to market speculation on its impending failure, which materialised with over 77% rejection votes recorded. Despite the overtures from Air China, China Eastern's management continued to show resistance towards the former's attempt to increase its shareholding in the airline.

Financial performance

Singapore Airlines Group Financial Highlights

Year ended	Revenue (S$m)	Expenditure (S$m)	Operating profit (S$m)	Profit before taxation (S$m)	Profit attributable to equity holders (S$m)	EPS after tax – diluted (cents)
31 March 1999	7,795.9	6,941.5	854.4	1,116.8	1,033.2	80.6
31 March 2000	9,018.8	7,850.0	1,168.8	1,463.9	1,163.8	91.4
31 March 2001	9,951.3	8,604.6	1,346.7	1,904.7	1,549.3	126.5
31 March 2002	9,382.8	8,458.2	924.6	925.6	631.7	51.9
31 March 2003	10,515.0	9,797.9	717.1	976.8	1,064.8	87.4
31 March 2004	9,761.9	9,081.5	680.4	820.9	849.3	69.7
31 March 2005	12,012.9	10,657.4	1,355.5	1,829.4	1,389.3	113.9
31 March 2006	13,341.1	12,127.8	1,213.3	1,662.1	1,240.7	101.3
31 March 2007	14,494.4	13,180.0	1,314.4	2,284.6	2,128.8	170.8

Operating performance

Singapore Airlines Operating Highlights (Parent Airline Company only)

Year ended	Passengers carried (thousand)	RPK (million)	ASK (million)	Load factor (%)	Yield (S¢/km)	Unit cost (cents/ASK)	Breakeven load factor (%)
31 March 1993	8,640	37,860.6	53,100.4	71.3	10.5	-	-
31 March 1994	9,468	42,328.3	59,283.3	71.4	10.1	-	-
31 March 1995	10,082	45,412.2	64,053.9	70.9	9.9	-	-
31 March 1996	11,057	50,045.4	68,555.3	73.0	9.4	-	-
31 March 1997	12,022	54,692.5	73,511.4	74.4	9.0	-	-
31 March 1998	11,957	54,441.2	77,221.6	70.5	9.5	-	-
31 March 1999	12,777	60,299.9	83,191.7	72.5	8.6	-	-
31 March 2000	13,782	65,718.4	87,728.3	74.9	9.1	-	-
31 March 2001	15,002	71,118.4	92,648.0	76.8	9.4	7.5	70.2
31 March 2002	14,765	69,994.5	94,558.5	74.0	9.0	6.4	71.1
31 March 2003	15,326	74,183.2	99,565.9	74.5	9.1	6.7	73.6
31 March 2004	13,278	64,685.2	88,252.7	73.3	9.2	6.7	72.8
31 March 2005	15,944	77,593.7	104,662.3	74.1	10.1	7.0	69.3
31 March 2006	16,995	82,741.7	109,483.7	75.6	10.6	7.5	70.8
31 March 2007	18,346	89,148.8	112,543.8	79.2	10.9	7.9	72.5

Branding

Female flight attendants, known as the Singapore Girls, are heavily marketed as the airline's icon.

Main article: Singapore Girl

Branding and publicity efforts have revolved primarily around flight crew, in contrast to most other airlines, who tend to emphasize aircraft and services in general. In particular, the promotion of female flight attendants as Singapore Girl's has been widely successful and is a common feature in most of the airline's advertisements and publications. This branding strategy aims to build a mythical aura around the Singapore Girl, and portray her as representative of Asian hospitality and grace.

As part of efforts to build up the image of the "Singapore Girl", the airline runs a rigorous training program for cabin and flight crew to ensure the SIA brand experience is delivered. The airline's repute, and the resulting prestige of the job has allowed it to be highly selective during its recruitment process as it receives numerous applications locally and from around the region but only 20% of the hopefuls will be sent through to become a "Singapore Girl".

Dressed in a version of the Malay Sarong Kebaya designed by Pierre Balmain in 1968, the uniform of the Singapore Girl has remained largely unchanged. The male flight attendant, in contrast, wears relatively sober light blue business jackets and grey trousers.

Although a successful marketing image for the airline, the "Singapore Girl" emphasis received criticisms for its portrayal of women as subservient to males. Feminist groups say that its cultural references are outdated and that most Singaporean women today are modern and independent.

On 9 January 2007, the airline announced its intentions to tender out its existing advertising contract with Batey Ads, the Singaporean company headed by founder Ian Batey, who was responsible for building up the Singapore Girl brand name and its partner since 1972. The image of the Singapore Girl would still remain, although SIA will now focus on advertising and promoting its modern fleet and technology instead. On 16 April 2007, the airline appointed New York-based advertising agent TBWA\ to handle its creative advertising for the airline. The contract is worth S$50 million per year over the following five years. Stephen Forshaw, Vice President Public Affairs, said they will start the new branding campaign "as early as there is a practicable opportunity". This change in advertising agency will not affect SIA's buying media agency, which is presently MEC.

Services

Main article: Singapore Airlines awards and accolades

Singapore Airlines have received numerous awards and accolades for the standard of service it provides. It claims to be "The World's Most Awarded Airline".

In the 29th annual Zagat survey by US pollsters in November 2007, SIA placed first overall in both premium and economy classes while additionally topping the poll for its website and for comfort, service, and food in all classes.

In-flight services

Cabins

Singapore Airlines announced a major upgrade to its cabin and in-flight service on 17 October 2006, its first major overhaul in over 8 years and costing the airline about S$570 million. Initially planned for its Airbus A380-800's introduction into service in 2006, and subsequently on the Boeing 777-300ER, the postponement of the first A380-800 delivery meant it had to be introduced with the launch of the first Boeing 777-300ER with the airline on 5 December 2006 between Singapore and Paris.

First class

File:Singapore Airlines Suites.jpg

The Singapore Airlines Suites

There are four variations of the first class cabin, although the Singapore Airlines Suites class is designated by Singapore Airlines as a "Class Beyond First" and uses a different fare code (R).

The flagship Suites product consists of separate compartments with walls and doors 1.5 m high and is offered only on the new Airbus A380. The leather seat is 35 in (89 cm) wide (with armrests up and 23 in (58 cm) wide when armrests are down) and a 23 in (58 cm) LCD TV screen is mounted on the front wall. The 78 in (198 cm) bed is separate from the seat and folds out from the back wall, with several other components of the suite lowering to accommodate the mattress. Windows are built into the doors and blinds offer privacy. Suites located in the centre can form a double bed after the privacy blinds between them are retracted into the ceiling.

Introduced on 17 October 2006, the "New" First Class on 777-300ER aircraft features a 35 inch wide seat upholstered with leather and mahogany and a 23in LCD screen. The seat reclines into a completely flat bed.

First Class on Boeing 747-400 aircraft features the SkySuite, a seat that is 22" wide and can extend into a 6ft 6in bed. It features a 17" LCD screen and the SkySuite itself is upholstered in Connolly leather and trimmed with burr wood.

Selected Boeing 777-200s and all Boeing 777-300 aircraft (used mainly on regional flights) offer sleeper seats that are 21 in (53 cm) wide.

Business class

File:Singapore Airlines New BC.jpg

Business class on the A380 Singapore to Sydney route

On Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A380 aircraft, a fully-flat bed is offered in a 1-2-1 configuration with forward-facing seats, in contrast to the herring-bone configuration used by several other airlines offering fully flat beds in business class. Arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, the New Business Class is up to 34 in (86 cm) wide. The leather seats feature a 15.4 in (39.1 cm) diagonal screen size personal television, in-seat power supply and 2 USB ports.

SpaceBed seats are available on the following aircraft: Airbus A340-500, Boeing 777-200ER and Boeing 747-400. The SpaceBed seats are 27 in (69 cm) wide and 72 in (183 cm) long and convert to an angled flat bed. They have a retractable10.4 in (26.4 cm) personal television. As the SpaceBeds are angled downwards at eight degrees to the cabin floor (a configuration that is ameliorated somewhat by the nose-up attitude of the aircraft during flight), they are considered inferior to full-flat beds.

Traditional Ultimo business class seats, which do not convert into beds, are offered on all Boeing 777-200 (excluding the 777-200ER) and 777-300 aircraft in a 2-3-2 configuration.

executiveconomy class

executiveconomy Class is only offered on Airbus A340-500 aircraft and replaces the standard economy class cabins. The seat has 37in seat pitch, 20in width and 150° seat recline, with a 9in personal screen and in-seat power supply at selected seats. A minibar and lounge area is located at the rear of each cabin class on the aircraft where light snacks and drinks are offered during the flight.

Economy class

Economy class on the first Singapore Airlines Airbus A380

All economy class seats have personal television screens, footrests, adjustable headrests with side-flap "ears" and adjustable seat reclines. Baby bassinets are available at some bulkheads.

Economy class seats on Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A380 aircraft are 19in wide, offer in-seat power and have a 10.6in personal TV.

Cuisine

A meal in Economy class served on a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

Singapore Airlines offers World Gourmet Cuisine in all three classes. Regional dishes are often served on their respective flights, such as the Kyo-Kaiseki, Shi Quan Shi Mei, and Shahi Thali meals available for First Class passengers on flights to Japan, China and India respectively.

Singapore Airlines has also introduced a Popular Local Fare culinary programme offering Singaporean favourites to passengers in all classes flying from Singapore to selected major destinations.

Business and First class passengers may also choose to use the "Book the Cook" service on some flights, where specific dishes may be selected in advance from a more extensive menu.

In-flight entertainment system and communication

Singapore Airline's in-flight entertainment system, KrisWorld, was introduced in 1997. Long-range aircraft using the Wiseman 3000 system offer on-demand movies, audio and Nintendo games in all classes. Passengers flying Singapore Airlines Suites, First Class and Business Class receive active noise-cancelling headphones.

In March 2005, SIA introduced the Connexion by Boeing in-flight Internet service, and the system was extended to offer live TV in June. The service ended in December 2006 when Connexion was ceased by Boeing.

From October 2005, SIA has offered free language lessons in 22 languages and, starting December 2005, live text news feeds.

SIA announced that Panasonic Avionics Corporation has been selected to create the new KrisWorld, using the new ex² system.

• Widescreen LCD TV with 1280 x 768 resolution
• A range of movies, TV, music, games, and interactive programs
• Built-in office software, based on the StarOffice Productivity Suite for use with the USB port
• In-seat AC power port

Ground services

Passengers may check-in between two to 48 hours prior to flight departure. This may be done traditionally over the counter or at the lounge within the airport. Self-service kiosks are also available at Singapore Changi Airport.

Alternatively, they may check-in at the Singapore Airlines Service Centre at The Paragon in Orchard Road, through the internet or by short message service. Online printing of boarding passes is available through internet check-in. Passengers on short trips may also check-in on their return flight upon departure from the city of origin.

Lounges

The airline's Silver Kris Lounges are open to Singapore Airlines Suites, First Class and Business Class passengers in addition to PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members. These members may also have access to lounges operated by the airline's partners. These lounges are located in:

• Adelaide
• Amsterdam
• Brisbane
• Hong Kong
• Kuala Lumpur
• London
• Manila
• Melbourne
• Osaka
• Penang
• Perth
• San Francisco
• Seoul
• Shanghai
• Singapore
• Sydney
• Taipei
• Tokyo

Frequent flyer program

The Singapore Airlines frequent flyer program, has two categories:

KrisFlyer

Miles are earned and redeemed on Singapore Airlines' own services and with Krisflyer partners. Partners include all Star Alliance members, SilkAir, Virgin Atlantic and numerous hotel chains and car hire companies.

KrisFlyer is divided into KrisFlyer, KrisFlyer Elite Silver and KrisFlyer Elite Gold, which correspond to Star Alliance Silver and Gold respectively. Elite Silver and Elite Gold status is given to passengers who have accrued 25,000 and 50,000 miles respectively within a 12-month period.

Singapore Airlines flights in booking classes V, Q, G, N and T (group and promotional fares) and SilkAir flights in booking classes W and L earn no miles.

The PPS Club

Priority Passenger Service (PPS) is for passengers who have accumulated S$25,000 worth of PPS Value within a year.. PPS Value is accrued while flying Singapore Airlines Suites, First Class or Business Class on Singapore Airlines, or Business Class on SilkAir. The PPS is divided into the PPS Club, Solitaire PPS Club and the Solitaire PPS Club Life.

A member with PPS Club status will qualify for Solitaire PPS Club by accumulating PPS Value of S$250,000 within five years. The Solitaire Life PPS Club status was formerly given to members who accrued a total of 1,875,000 miles or 1,000 PPS sectors. Benefits are equal to Solitaire PPS Club members but did not have a re-qualification criteria. Singapore Airlines has ceased accepting new Solitaire Life PPS Club members.

All PPS members have priority check-in, baggage handling, guaranteed Economy Class seats when waitlisted on Business and First Class and have access to Business Class section of the Silver Kris Lounge. Solitaire PPS members and their spouses also access First Class check-in and the First Class sections of Silver Kris Lounge.

Destinations

Main article: Singapore Airlines destinations

Singapore Airlines flies to 64 destinations in 35 countries on five continents.

Singapore Airlines flies to 65 destinations in 35 countries on five continents from its primary hub in Singapore. It has a particularly strong presence in the Southeast Asian region, which together with its subsidiary SilkAir, connects Singapore with more international destinations in the region than any other Southeast Asian airline.

The airline has a key role in the important Kangaroo Route. It flew 10.9% of all international traffic into and out of Australia in the month ended August 2007.

SIA has taken advantage of liberal bilateral aviation agreements between Singapore and Thailand, and with the United Arab Emirates, to offer more onward connections from Bangkok and Dubai respectively. On 1 September 2005, for example, it launched six-times weekly flights between Bangkok and Tokyo. China and India are major markets which fuelled much of its growth in recent years.

The airline's strengths have also invited protectionist measures to keep it out of key foreign markets. In particular, it has been unsuccessful in gaining access on transpacific routes from Australia to the United States. The Australian authorities deferred decisions to allow the airline on the route to the United States from Australia. SIA has stated that it wants to dramatically expand service to Canada and establish a North America hub in Vancouver, but has complained about being prevented from doing so by Canada's protectionist policies.

Codeshare agreements

Boeing 747-400 at Singapore Changi Airport in Star Alliance livery while still maintaining its corporate logo on the tail, the only Star Alliance member to do so.

Singapore Airlines has codeshare agreements with its fully-owned subsidiary SilkAir; Virgin Atlantic Airways, in which it owns a 49% stake; Malaysia Airlines; Royal Brunei Airlines, where it codeshares on selected regional routes; and with many Star Alliance member airlines of which it became a member in April, 2000.

Singapore Airlines - codeshare agreements

Airlines	Destinations
Air Canada	Montreal, San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver
Air New Zealand	Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Queenstown, Sydney and Wellington
All Nippon Airways	Chicago, Fukuoka, Kochi, Matsuyama, New York, Okinawa, Osaka, Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Washington
Asiana	Seoul
EgyptAir	Cairo
LOT Polish Airlines	Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Warsaw and Zurich
Lufthansa	Adelaide, Auckland, Barcelona, Berlin, Bilbao, Bremen, Brisbane, Brussels, Budapest, Christchurch, Cologne, Copenhagen, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Hanover, Helsinki, Leipzig, Lyon, Madrid, Marseille, Melbourne, Milan, Munich, Nice, Nuremberg, Oslo, Paris, Perth, Prague, Rome, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Sydney, Toulouse, Munster and Vienna
Malaysia Airlines	Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Penang
Royal Brunei Airlines	Bandar Seri Begawan
SilkAir	Balikpapan ,Chengdu, Chiang Mai, Chongqing, Coimbatore, Da Nang, Kaohsiung, Kathmandu Kochi, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Kunming, Langkawi, Manado, Mataram, Medan, Palembang, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Shenzhen, Siem Reap, Solo City, Surabaya, Trivandrum, Xiamen and Yangon
South African Airways	Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth
US Airways	Charlotte, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Phoenix, San Francisco
Virgin Atlantic Airways	Chicago, Boston, Dubai, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco and Washington D.C.

Flight numbers

Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400 9V-SPA takes off from London Heathrow Airport bound for Singapore Changi Airport. The airline uses its main base at Singapore to compete on the lucrative "Kangaroo Route".

Generally, flight numbers are allocated according to geographical regions, and are reviewed occasionally to accommodate regional changes in the system network.

Singapore Airlines - flight numbers

Range	Market
SQ001-SQ099	North America
SQ0100-SQ199	Southeast Asia (Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam)
SQ200-SQ299	Oceania
SQ300-SQ399	Europe
SQ400-SQ499	Southwest Asia and Africa
SQ500-SQ599	South Asia
SQ600-SQ699	Japan and Korea
SQ800-SQ899	China and Taiwan
SQ900-SQ999	Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand)
SQ1000-SQ1099	North America codeshares with Air Canada and US Airways
SQ2000-SQ2299	Europe codeshares with Lufthansa
SQ2500-SQ2699	North America codeshares with Virgin Atlantic Airways
SQ5000-SQ5399	Southeast Asia codeshares with SilkAir
SQ5400-SQ5499	Southeast Asia codeshares with Royal Brunei Airlines
SQ5600-SQ5699	Southeast Asia codeshares with Malaysia Airlines
SQ5700-SQ5799	East Asia codeshares with Asiana Airlines
SQ5900-SQ5999	East Asia codeshares with All Nippon Airways
SQ6100-SQ6199	South Africa codeshares with South African Airways
SQ6700-SQ6999	Oceania codeshares with Air New Zealand
SQ7000-SQ7999	Singapore Airlines Cargo flights
SQ8000-SQ8999	(Charter flights)

Fleet

Main article: Singapore Airlines fleet

Singapore Airlines operates a full wide-body aircraft fleet from four aircraft families: the Boeing 747, the Boeing 777, Airbus A380 and the Airbus A340. In keeping with its policy of maintaining a young fleet, which stands at an average of 6.5 years as of October 2007, it renews its fleet relatively frequently.

The airline has had a history of naming its fleet according to plane makes. The Boeing 747-400s were dubbed "Megatop", the Boeing 777s were called "Jubilee" and the Airbus A340-500s were named "Leadership". Names for airliners previously flown by the airline include: "Superbus" for the 8 Airbus A300, "3TEN" for the 23 Airbus A310-300, "Celestar" for the 17 Airbus A340-300,"Super B" for the 23 Boeing 747-200B, "Big Top" for the 14 Boeing 747-300.

Singapore Airlines has never painted an aircraft without its trademark tail livery. Even special liveries such as the Tropical Megatop and the Star Alliance livery still retain the signature stylised bird on their vertical stabilizers.

Historical fleet

See list of historical aircraft fleet.

Since 1937, the predecessors of Singapore Airlines operated the Airspeed Consul, Boeing 707, Boeing 737, Bristol Britannia, Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-4 Skymaster, de Havilland Comet 4, Fokker F27, Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation and the Vickers Viscount. Upon its incorporation as Singapore Airlines Limited on 28 January 1972, the airline acquired seven Boeing 707s and five Boeing 737s from MSA on 30 September 1972.

Its first purchase since incorporation was for another Boeing 707 from Continental Airlines which was delivered on 1 October 1972. The first Boeing 747-200 for the airline was delivered soon after on 31 July 1973, which also marked SIA's first direct delivery of a new aircraft. Boeing 727s were first delivered on 30 August 1977, Boeing 747-300s from 29 April 1983, and Boeing 757s from 12 November 1984. The airline ordered its first aircraft from Airbus, the A300B4 in 1979, which joined the fleet in 1980. Other Airbus models flown include the Airbus 310 since 1984 and the Airbus 340-300 from 26 October 1996.

In 1977, and from 1979 to 1980, SIA flew a Concorde that it shared with British Airways. Concorde G-BOAD had Singapore Airlines' livery on the left side and British Airways' livery on the right. It was used on the London to Singapore via Bahrain service. The service was withdrawn for financial reasons and complaints about the noise from the Malaysian government.

Current fleet

See list of current aircraft fleet.

Boeing 747

Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-412 taking off from London Heathrow Airport.

The Boeing 747s have been the primary long-range aircraft for the airline since their introduction in the fleet, first with the -212B variant in 31 July 1973. SIA was, at one time, the world's largest operator of the -400 variant when the 34th airframe was delivered on 13 October 1994[5] and was the first to fly the aircraft on a commercial trans-Pacific flight[6]. 9V-SMU, delivered to the airline on 13 October 1993, was the one-thousandth 747 to be delivered by Boeing and was commemorated with the words "1000th Boeing 747" painted on its fuselage.

Boeing 747-412s with registration 9V-SPP and 9V-SPR are in Star Alliance livery, though having SIA corporate logo on the tail. A Boeing 747 registered 9V-SPQ has larger tail logo and titles.

Boeing 777

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200 at Singapore Changi Airport

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (9V-SWA), the first of the -300ER variant to be delivered on 23 November 2006, completing its first flight to Zurich International Airport. SIA is the world's largest operator of the Boeing 777 family, with 69 in its fleet and another 8 on order and 13 on option.

All of Singapore Airlines' 777-212s are the Extended Range (ER) models; featuring centre fuel tanks for maximum storage. The airline however chooses to only refer to the 9V-SV* registered series of aircraft as 777-200ERs as those planes are certified to 656,000 lb (298,000 kg) Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) and fly the longer intercontinental routes. The 9V-SR* and 9V-SQ* registered aircraft feature derated engines which can be electronically reprogrammed to produce more thrust and thus operate longer flights at higher MTOWs if ever needed. In August 2004, the airline decided to order 19 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and the order was signed on 23 December 2004, during which an unused option for the Boeing 777 family was converted into an additional order for Boeing 777-300ER. Singapore Airlines became the world's largest operator of the Boeing 777 when it took delivery of its 58th aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER, on 6 May 2005[7], and now has 69 in its fleet as of 31 October, 2007 . The airline's new Boeing 777-300ERs entered commercial service on 5 December 2006, on the Singapore-Paris route. This aircraft, of which Singapore Airlines ordered 19, introduced Singapore Airlines' new First Class, Business Class, and Economy Class products. Singapore Airlines is the largest Boeing 777 operator in the world with 67 in service, 13 more than the next largest operator and Star Alliance partner, United Airlines. The airline has 10 more on order and another 13 on option. Singapore Airlines also recently took delivery of the 600th 777 produced.

Airbus A340

The first 777s were ordered as a replacement for Singapore Airlines' Airbus A340-300 with Boeing taking the A340s as part of the deal. This was seen as a setback for Airbus, which had started delivery of the aircraft only a few years earlier. Two of the 17 A340-300s ordered never flew in revenue service for Singapore Airlines and were handed over to Boeing Aircraft Holding Company for resale within months of delivery to Singapore Airlines. The A340-300 had been a replacement for a canceled McDonnell Douglas MD-11 order, which could not meet long range requirements as far as distance was concerned. Subsequently, Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of the Airbus A340-500, a long range version of the A340. The A340-500 feature the executiveconomy Class cabins with a 2-3-2 configuration. The A340-500s are used for the ultra long haul routes from Singapore to Los Angeles and New York nonstop. Singapore Airlines operates the world's longest nonstop flights, SQ21 and SQ22 using the A340-500s that fly from Singapore Changi Airport to New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport. When flying from Singapore to New Jersey, the plane usually flies over the North Pole and crosses the Arctic Ocean. The length of this route is 9530mi (8280nm) or 15340km.

Airbus A380

File:380CHANGI.JPG

Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 (9V-SKA) at Singapore Changi Airport.

Singapore Airlines was the first airline to operate the Airbus A380-800 when it entered service on 25 October 2007 after a series of delays. It made a total order for 19 A380s with another six on option with plans to introduce the aircraft on the "Kangaroo Route" from Sydney to London, via Singapore. The first flight was a return trip from Singapore to Sydney, with a special flight designation of SQ380 to signify the first flight of the A380 [8]. To promote the aircraft and mark the moment in aviation history, SIA auctioned all the tickets in a special agreement with eBay, beginning on 27 August 2007 for two weeks, and donating all proceeds to charity. [9] The airline announced that it has raised nearly $1.3 million dollars for charity.

Singapore Airlines took delivery of a second Airbus A380 (MSN005) on 11 January 2008 and is now the operator of the only two A380s in commercial service.

Fleet expansion

The airline is in the midst of its fleet renewal programme, with plans to retire all Boeing 747-412s by 2011. Their capacity is planned to be taken up by a mix of Airbus A380-841s (2 delivered, 17 on order) and Boeing 777-312ERs (11 delivered, 8 on order) . Delays in the delivery schedule of the Airbus A380 forced the airline to lease 19 Airbus A330-300s, to be delivered from 2009, as an interim measure to tide it over its capacity shortage as part of its Boeing 747 fleet continues to retire from service . The airline also took the unprecedented step of leasing a Boeing 747 from Malaysia Airlines since 21 June 2007 on a short-term basis. The leased aircraft currently flies to Auckland, New Zealand.

The oldest Boeing 777s are slated for retirement progressively, to be replaced by the Airbus A350-900XWB and Boeing 787-9, with the airline ordering 20 aircraft of each model. The airline has further options for another 13 Boeing 777-312ERs, 6 Airbus A380-841s, 20 Airbus A350-900XWBs and 20 Boeing 787-9s.

The Singapore Airlines fleet order book consists of the following aircraft:

Singapore Airlines Fleet Orders

Aircraft	Orders	Options	Engines	Announcement	Confirmation	First Delivery
Airbus A330-300	19 (lease-orders)	0	Rolls Royce Trent 700			2009
Airbus A350-900XWB	20	20	Rolls-Royce Trent XWB	21 July 2006 [10]	22 June 2007	2013
Airbus A380-841	17	6	Rolls Royce Trent 970	29 September 2000	12 July 2001 (Launch customer)	15 October 2007 [11]
Boeing 777-312ER	8	13	General Electric GE90-115B			22 November 2006
Boeing 787-9	20	20		14 June 2006	11 October 2006 [12]	2011

External links

• Singapore Airlines company website