SINGAPORE: Flag carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) picked up the first of its five new A380s on Thursday (Dec 14).
The new planes are fitted with more Premium Economy and Economy class seats, as well as revamped Suites and Business class cabins.
The delivery flight arrived at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 at 9.50am from France’s Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, following a send-off ceremony organised by Airbus.
Singapore Airlines picks up the first of its five new A-380 airbuses – that feature brand new seats and inflight entertainment. Watch: Aircraft lands at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 from Toulouse, France. pic.twitter.com/gviSqcxxoN
— Elizabeth Neo (@ElizabethNeoCNA) December 14, 2017
The double-decker jumbo jets are fitted with new seats, in-flight entertainment screens and other cabin products.
The new in-flight entertainment screens. (Photo: Elizabeth Neo)
More premium economy and economy seats, which are in the lower deck, have been fitted in the planes.
The Premium Economy seats are on the lower deck of the A380. (Photo: Elizabeth Neo)
The 471-seat jets have six seats in Suites class, 78 in Business class, 44 in Premium Economy and 343 in Economy.
Business seats in the A380 where passengers can recline their seats to a bed. (Photo: Elizabeth Neo)
SIA’s current fleet of A380s has 441 seats, of which 12 are in Suites, 60 in Business class, 36 in Premium Economy and 333 in Economy.
Under the new configuration, seats in Suites have 60 per cent more space, and are located on the upper deck together with the Business class seats.
The Suites class seats in the new A380s have 60 per cent more space than the existing A380s. (Photo: Elizabeth Neo)
The airline will receive another four new A380s by the third quarter of 2018.
It will also progressively retrofit the 14 existing A380s, which will be completed by the end of 2020. SIA said it invested US$850 million in the research and development of the new products on the 19 A380s.
SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong said the arrival of the new A380s is a milestone for the company, noting that SIA was the first airline to fly the A380s in 2007.
Stairs in the A380 leading to the upper deck. (Photo: Elizabeth Neo)
“The aircraft (A380) has proven to be a huge commercial success in service with the carrier, flying passengers efficiently and in comfort on the airlines’ long haul and regional network,” said Airbus CEO Tom Enders.
SIA’s new A380 will make its first flight on the Singapore to Sydney route next Monday. The A380s will also fly to Auckland, Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong
Kong, London, Melbourne, Mumbai, New Delhi, New York, Paris, Shanghai and
Zurich.
