A380 to India from June

[bjornstrom]

I'm expecting Singapore Airlines to switch BOM/DEL flights to A380 from June, have you heard similar rumours?

[hviswanathan]

I'm expecting Singapore Airlines to switch BOM/DEL flights to A380 from June, have you heard similar rumours?

http://www.livemint.com/Companies/tN...umbo-A380.html

[SQueeze]

No, I haven't

June is low season there. Usually flights are pretty much empty and SQ reduces frequency too in past years.

If anything, I think more likely for them to upgauge in the winter timetable from October onwards.

[SQ228]

DEL now has two flights that operate within two hours of each other: SQ406/3 and SQ408/7, only one of which existed this time last year.

BOM has had the same situation for a while longer: SQ426/5 and SQ424/3.

Rather than have two 777s fly within 2 hours of each other, replace them with a single A380 and that would actually be a reduction in capacity as well as a huge gain in efficiency and cost-reduction.

SQ is certainly getting a lot of business from the India - Australia route, though. I'd say easily half of SQ217 passengers from SIN to MEL are connecting from India on a lot of days. It certainly seems to be a growing market for them, and while Air India may have recommenced direct flights to MEL, Air India's problems are well known...

[bent]

DEL now has two flights that operate within two hours of each other: SQ406/3 and SQ408/7, only one of which existed this time last year.

BOM has had the same situation for a while longer: SQ426/5 and SQ424/3.

Rather than have two 777s fly within 2 hours of each other, replace them with a single A380 and that would actually be a reduction in capacity as well as a huge gain in efficiency and cost-reduction.

agreed. the 2 777 flights will likely be collpased to an A380 flight

[singha-puri]

First service on 30 May.

[hviswanathan]

Website still shows 777 for flights. It has also been mentioned here though http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/C...w/33250061.cms

[SQ228]

First service on 30 May.

Interesting. I'm assuming this is BOM getting the A380 or is it DEL as well?

This of course also raises the question of which destination will score the brand new 77W if BOM gets the A380.

[Airbus SAS A340-500]

agreed. the 2 777 flights will likely be collpased to an A380 flight

But if this were to be the case, wouldn't there be quite a substantial reduction in total seats offered on the route?

I think it would more likely be an upgauge of one of the two flights, instead of the two 777s consolidating to a single A388.

[SQueeze]

But if this were to be the case, wouldn't there be quite a substantial reduction in total seats offered on the route?

I think it would more likely be an upgauge of one of the two flights, instead of the two 777s consolidating to a single A388.

The current demand to/from India in the evening is premium heavy. The 2 back-to-back planes are deployed to carry business class passengers. Economy class loads on both especially on the 2nd flight are generally very light - no more than 50% filled. Business class on the 1st flight is usually 100% and never saw D savers there, on the 2nd flight 60-100% full.

And now Jet Airways has downgauged Mumbai from flat bed A330 to recliner 737, and that flight is also usually very full in business class when it was A330, the A380 will be easily filled.

I think they will still make money by deploying 1 777 and 1 A380 every night as the business class will still be filled to the brim. But the economy class will likely be very very light.

[singha-puri]

Both BOM and DEL getting the 380 upgauged from one 777 daily.

[SQ228]

I think they will still make money by deploying 1 777 and 1 A380 every night as the business class will still be filled to the brim. But the economy class will likely be very very light.

I'm guessing we'd be likely to see the SKL-SKT series flying these routes then!

Now I'm really grasping what is happening here. SQ are really putting in a big effort to become the dominant player in a growing business class market heading east out of India, which also explains the deployment of the new 77Ws to BOM as well as the 772ER refits. While the middle eastern carriers may be effective in draining SQ's business on other routes, this is one that they would find much harder to compete on. If India's "best" carrier is reducing its product offering on the route, clearly the market has already voted with its feet, which is a real shame for India's aviation industry.

[bent]

well, the press release is out

http://www.business-standard.com/art...0700158_1.html

[bjornstrom]

Told you!

[bjornstrom]

Booked on SQ406 SIN-DEL in First. Hoping for Suites! Sweet