9V-SKL

[SQ228]

Anybody know what's happened to 9V-SKL? It hasn't been flying for a month now.

I usually pick up on most things mentioned on here, but can't remember reading anything about an A380 out of action.

[InSaneSleepyHO]

9V-SKG has also been out of action for about 3 weeks

[SQ228]

Yes, well spotted. You'd think they would rest them cyclically but maybe it's more cost effective to park two craft out of the way for a while.

I'm not sure A380s are going to be the great success as once predicted- they are damn big planes to fill in low seasons and a huge expense to have sitting idle.

SQ are replacing one of MEL's two daily A380s with an A330 and a B77W- so much for the idea that less flights with bigger planes was the best way forward. SYD is also losing one of its two A380s as well in a couple of months.

If EK ever gets the full 90-odd fleet of them that it ordered, I reckon it'll be their demise.

[FSJZ]

Yes, well spotted. You'd think they would rest them cyclically but maybe it's more cost effective to park two craft out of the way for a while.

I'm not sure A380s are going to be the great success as once predicted- they are damn big planes to fill in low seasons and a huge expense to have sitting idle.

SQ are replacing one of MEL's two daily A380s with an A330 and a B77W- so much for the idea that less flights with bigger planes was the best way forward. SYD is also losing one of its two A380s as well in a couple of months.

If EK ever gets the full 90-odd fleet of them that it ordered, I reckon it'll be their demise.

Quite true. A380s are very expensive to run (maintenance, fuel, insurance, airport taxes) and if the load is low, then SQ will be losing money. Makes more sense that SQ deploys A380s on high load flights, like SIN-LHR, SIN-NRT-LAX, SIN-HKG-SFO, SIN-FRA-JFK, etc.

[pungpui]

SQ are replacing one of MEL's two daily A380s with an A330 and a B77W- so much for the idea that less flights with bigger planes was the best way forward. SYD is also losing one of its two A380s as well in a couple of months.

Do you know which SYD flights will be swapped and when? Maybe the swap will be for the first new-class 773ER - a shorter route for testing/consistency for a few months as it's shorter than LHR-SIN (like they did for the first few months of introducing the all upper deck business class A380 model).

[SQ228]

Do you know which SYD flights will be swapped and when? Maybe the swap will be for the first new-class 773ER - a shorter route for testing/consistency for a few months as it's shorter than LHR-SIN (like they did for the first few months of introducing the all upper deck business class A380 model).

It's SQ231/222. Sporadic downgrades to 77W in June, then permanent from August 10. That said, this info is off the PDF timetable which is valid until August 19. Sometimes changes look more permanent than they are due to how the PDF timetable is edited.

[mr_botak]

It would not be unlikely to have 1 or 2 frames down for heavy checks at any one time. More likely than simply parking them up.

[eamond]

It's SQ231/222. Sporadic downgrades to 77W in June, then permanent from August 10. That said, this info is off the PDF timetable which is valid until August 19. Sometimes changes look more permanent than they are due to how the PDF timetable is edited.

Seems like a temporary sub for me, as Amadeus timetable lists A388 operating again from 19AUG until further notice.

[SQ228]

Thanks for the info. That's the problem with the PDF timetable.

Sometimes when a 'permanent' change is made less than a week to expiry date it can even make it look like a daily service is being reduced to less than daily because they only list the days of the week left in the validity period. Can be deceptive

[SQ228]

SKL is still out of action and SKG has now also gone over a month without a flight. Could this be related to the wing-crack issue?

[crazycrab955]

I'm not sure A380s are going to be the great success as once predicted- they are damn big planes to fill in low seasons and a huge expense to have sitting idle.

No one other than Airbus' PR machine ever predicted the A380 would be a "great success." The A380 was an ego project for Airbus and the EU governments that bankroll it, not a primarily commercial decision. Many analysts say it is highly unlikely that the A380 programme ever breaks even, given how few new orders are trickling in.

See:
http://www.aviationweek.com/Article....-01-578735.xml

[InSaneSleepyHO]

9V-SKL
Will be operating SQ346 tonight

[rlarosa]

Perhaps it was out for a D check - I think they take several weeks to complete?

[pungpui]

9V-SKA has been out of action now according to flightradar24 - D check potentially?

[MAN Flyer]

9V-SKA has been out of action now according to flightradar24 - D check potentially?

Maybe it's due for a bit of TLC as an SQTalker I know flew it back from the US recently and as well as the cabin being very tatty there was no ice available anywhere on the aircraft as the systems were all out of action. First world problems I know but you know how SQ are about such things, especially going off the face of the senior SQ Exec at the recent products launch when informed of this.