SIA to launch non-stop Singapore-LA flight
SIA to launch non-stop Singapore-LA flight
Benget Simbolon Tnb, Singapore, The Jakarta Post
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has unveiled the ultra long-range
Airbus 340-500, its newest aircraft type to ply the 16-hour non-
stop flight -- the longest service in the world -- from Singapore
to Los Angeles in the U.S., starting from next February.
"We have named the aircraft the A345Leadership to underscore
its unique characteristics and SIA's continued commitment to
product and service innovation.
"With the A340-500, we are offering non-stop services over
long distances, that translate to greater convenience, comfort
and time savings. It is especially designed for today's business
travelers," said SIA's Senior Executive Vice President, Michael
Tan in a ceremony to unveil the new aircraft on Wednesday.
SIA's flight service to Los Angeles will take 16 hours, and
return service from Los Angeles about 18.5 hours. It will be a
savings of nearly two hours over SIA's current one-stop flights.
SIA will also offer a non-stop flight service from Singapore
to New York in August 2004. The service will take about 18 hours
in each direction.
Currently, the carrier's longest non-stop flight services are
from Singapore to London and from Hong Kong to San Francisco in
the U.S. both of which take about 13 hours.
The construction of the A345Leadership by Airbus is nearly
complete and it is expected to be delivered to SIA by December
this year. The aircraft will have 181 seats in a spacious two-
class configuration comprising Raffles (business) Class and
Executive economy Class.
The aircraft is part of the SIA's plan to get ten new Airbus
planes. SIA placed an order for 10 A340-500s in 1998 with five on
firm order and five on option. The order was worth at total of
US$2.2 billion, including the cost of spare parts. The A340-500
will be powered by four Rolls Royce Trent 553 engines.
The A345Leadership will be the first new aircraft type to join
the SIA fleet since 1997, when the carrier took delivery of its
first Boeing 777.
SIA's operating fleet comprises 51 B777s and 27 B747s, a total
of 78 aircraft.
Its operating revenue increased by 8.2 percent to US$8.047
billion last year from $7.44 billion in 2001.
SIA, along with other major carriers in Asia including Hong
Kong-based Cathay Pacific and Australia's Qantas, was severely
affected by the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS) during the first half of this year.
During the peak of the SARS crisis SIA's passenger load factor
dropped to around 50 percent, but then rose to more than 70
percent after June.