SQ B747-400 withdrawal thread

[mhadian]

seems like SYD last 744 flight is postponed by 1 month, according to KVS, 744 still operating until 9 NOV, instead 5 OCT like was originally scheduled?

[peterblack]

9V-SMU, 9V-SPA, 9V-SPE, 9V-SPH, 9V-SPI, 9V-SPJ, 9V-SPN, 9V-SPO, 9V-SPP, and 9V-SPQ.

See also post #602, preceding..............

so long...Sierra Papa India...

[SQKevin]

so long...Sierra Papa India...

What is the status of 9V-SPI? ACARS records show her last flight on 31 August as SQ228.

[boing]

SQ should drum up some publicity and hold a "farewell party" like atmosphere for the last 744 flight. It would be a befitting farewell for the a/c that has been the backbone of SQ's phenomenal growth from the start. It truly has been SQ's workhorse and been through it's thick and thins.
I strongly doubt they will do it, but if enough big time flyers pester them, there might see a monetary incentive to do so.

[sumitsan]

SQ should drum up some publicity and hold a "farewell party" like atmosphere for the last 744 flight. It would be a befitting farewell for the a/c that has been the backbone of SQ's phenomenal growth from the start. It truly has been SQ's workhorse and been through it's thick and thins.
I strongly doubt they will do it, but if enough big time flyers pester them, there might see a monetary incentive to do so.

Amen to that.... check my post in this thread (#628).

[allmotor_2000]

Chatted with the ISS today - 30yr SQ veteran. He said reason for NRT-LAX delay to switch to A380 is due to Jap government. His 'sources' in Japan say that the A380 for trans-pacific from Japan will present an unfair advantage as many Japanese may switch over from ANA due to the novelty of the A380. So... they will run the 747's for a while. If they do have to switch, it will be to the 777W until the Japanese are OK with the A380.

[flyguy]

even senior cabin crew would not really know the actual reason - but it doesnt seem to be that just bec the Jap govt is worried abt migration from ANA to SQ 380 - as then what abt JAL "feelings"?
On such matters, its always about the Japanese govt and its air traffic rights with SIN govt and the capacity and frequency of flights ie as in SQ flying from TYO to LAX. It has nothing too much to do with the type of aircraft if the airport is "380" ready n certified. For example, SQ can fly its A380 with the same capacity/number of pax as the 744 - if thats the agreed upon number of pax that SQ can carry - but then it would not make economic sense to do so for SQ unless its non economic reasons.

[zvezda]

Final Retirement Postponed to Next Fiscal Year

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...th-latest.html

SQ have announced that the last passenger JumboJets will be retired during the 2010/2011 fiscal year i.e. by 31 March 2011. Prior to the deferral of WhaleJet orders, the announced plan had been to retire the last of the JumboJets by 31 March 2010.

[TerryK]

...SQ have announced that the last passenger JumboJets will be retired during the 2010/2011 fiscal year i.e. by 31 April 2011. ....

Unfortunate news as a result of financial crisis. BTW, fiscal 2010/2011 ends on 31-Mar-2011, one month earlier.

[9V-SIA]

Dec was to be my last SQ 744 flight.

More opportunities to fly the 744 then!

[maxmin]

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...th-latest.html

SQ have announced that the last passenger JumboJets will be retired during the 2010/2011 fiscal year i.e. by 31 March 2011. Prior to the deferral of WhaleJet orders, the announced plan had been to retire the last of the JumboJets by 31 March 2010.

Oh no! Personally, I'm tired of the 744. I know that will make me very unpopular here.....

But could the article be mistaken about the year?

[9V-JKL]

Oh no! Personally, I'm tired of the 744. I know that will make me very unpopular here.....

But could the article be mistaken about the year?

You're popular with me as I tried to avoid the 744
I wonder about the year too but it seems right considering the deferals of the A380s

[flyguy]

believed the year is correct that few 744s will survive pax service till 2011 - as there's 2 744s that are just nearing its 10th year only as SQ have used their earlier 744s till their 14th year before some were retired recently. And it needs the 744s for esp its US one-stop routes for the next year or so - as the 77W will be to small in terms of seats whilst the whalejet will be too big - as the ave load has been between just a shade under 300 to 350 seats and is expected to be within the 744 capacity for the next 12 to 18 mths.

[Tom/PER]

believed the year is correct that few 744s will survive pax service till 2011 - as there's 2 744s that are just nearing its 10th year only as SQ have used their earlier 744s till their 14th year before some were retired recently. And it needs the 744s for esp its US one-stop routes for the next year or so - as the 77W will be to small in terms of seats whilst the whalejet will be too big - as the ave load has been between just a shade under 300 to 350 seats and is expected to be within the 744 capacity for the next 12 to 18 mths.

Your post doesn't really make sense but -SMU was delivered in 1993 so I made that 16 years old.

[zvezda]

I believe the article is probably correct regarding the year. That said, I expect all the JumboJets to be retired by the end of the 2010 calendar year (including at least one more during 2009).

JumboJet retirements are unlikely to match WhaleJet deliveries on a one-for-one basis. Let us not forget that SQ are due to receive 11 A330-300s during the 2010 calendar year. I still believe that, in some cases, A330-300s will free up regional 777-200s which will then free up 777-300s, which will then free up 777-300ERs serving regional destinations, which can then replace JumboJets. Given a choice between pulling a JumboJet from service and pulling a 777-200 or 777-300 from service, it generally makes much more economic sense to pull the JumboJet.

SQ normally aim to retire their aircraft at about 12 years. Some of the JumboJets served 14-15 years due to the WhaleJet production fiasco. It looks to me like some of the 777s will serve 14-15 years due to the 787 production fiasco. Let's hope that Airbus can deliver the A350 on time and on spec.