A380 - Master Thread

[feb01mel]

A380 melbourne will be replacing the 744, SQ227-228 daily flight from 29 Sep onwards

[Greatfox]

excuse me if this question has already been asked, but which aircraft on the Singapore-Melbourne flight will the A380 be replacing, 773, 77W or 744?

[feb01mel]

Yes, the rumours should be true, I have already highlighed before,

(1) Zurich & Frankfurt may get the A380s (Zurich station manager is getting ready for it)

(2) HKG A380 may stop sometime soon

(3) A380 will be fully Business Class on the upper deck starting from the 11th or 12th aircraft delivery

[zvezda]

There are talks that Zurich could get the A380 in Jan.

I've heard that rumour. It sounds like one the flight crew or cabin crew might have started. The problems with the idea of SQ replacing 2x daily 777-300ER service to ZRH with 1x daily WhaleJet service are:
- SQ would lose a lot of passengers to one-stop service at schedule times convenient for the passengers,
- SQ would lose a lot of passengers to one-stop service who are prohibited by company rules from traveling on the same flight as their team members,
- LX would almost certainly restart ZRH-SIN service and SQ would lose their monopoly on nonstop service.

Alternatively, SQ could replace 2x daily 777-300ER service with 1x daily WhaleJet plus 1x daily 777-200ER to ZRH. The problems with that are that it would result in higher total trip costs and the 777-200ERs still have the SpaceBeds, not the Diamond seats.

[ycp81]

There are talks that Zurich could get the A380 in Jan. If that is the case, a number of B773ERs would be freed up to replace the B744s. Also, certain B773ER medium haul routes such as MEL, SYD, BOM and DEL could be replaced by refurbished B773As.

[zvezda]

If SQ retimed the NRT 380 flight so that it leaves in the AM, couldnt SQ 11/12 be flown with 1 more bird? It would be tight but with a 12 hour time from LA and a 10 hour time from NRT to LA would leave 2 hours ground time in LAX. I know its not ideal but damn if SQ cant turn SQ 11/12 in NRT in 70 minutes.

SQ's WhaleJet utilization is currently low enough that your suggestion would work fine. However ...

Why would SQ want to upgauge SQ11/12 to WhaleJet service now? Operating costs per trip would increase 5%. Would revenue increase 5%? Perhaps, but I doubt it. Even if revenue were to rise 5%, that leaves nothing to cover payments on the new aircraft.

Until demand picks up, I can't see SQ operating anything other than a JumboJet or a 777-300ER SIN-NRT-LAX. When 9V-SKK is delivered in January, FRA or a 3rd daily LHR seem a lot more likely routes for upgauging. If it's LHR, then SQ11/12 should get the leftover 777-300ERs and we'll see a couple more JumboJets withdrawn.

[cell7481]

If SQ retimed the NRT 380 flight so that it leaves in the AM, couldnt SQ 11/12 be flown with 1 more bird? It would be tight but with a 12 hour time from LA and a 10 hour time from NRT to LA would leave 2 hours ground time in LAX. I know its not ideal but damn if SQ cant turn SQ 11/12 in NRT in 70 minutes.

[feb01mel]

Not sure if my sources are corect but i heard that SQ 11 and SQ 12 will never get upgauge to the A380 until Japan officials allow it. It's because SQ can only sell a certain number of seats between Tokyo and Lax and if they upgauge to A380, they can't sell all the seats.

Correct

[banx007]

Not sure if my sources are corect but i heard that SQ 11 and SQ 12 will never get upgauge to the A380 until Japan officials allow it. It's because SQ can only sell a certain number of seats between Tokyo and Lax and if they upgauge to A380, they can't sell all the seats.

[TerryK]

I am still hearing from cabin crew Frankfurt & Zurich are the next A380 destinations, and HKG service on A380 is temporary only, may last maybe till end of this year only.

SQ cabin crew provides excellent service, however, they are not known to possess reliable aircraft change information. Back in Feb, someone on TOFF heard that SQ11/12 was facing imminent downgauge to 77W.

[feb01mel]

I am still hearing from cabin crew Frankfurt & Zurich are the next A380 destinations, and HKG service on A380 is temporary only, may last maybe till end of this year only.

[wsssaero]

9V-SKJ arrived in SIN at 1429 local time today.

[SQKevin]

SINGAPORE : Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on Thursday that it has agreed with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus on a revised delivery schedule for eight A380 aircraft on firm order.

"Under the new schedule, deliveries will take place between six months and 12 months later than originally planned, for the airline's 12th A380 through to the 19th," the airline said in a statement.

SIA will see the eight aircraft delivered between October 2010 and January 2012, versus the earlier schedule of April 2010 to January 2011.

The carrier currently operates nine A380s, with two more due for delivery in the current financial year that began April. It said the revised schedule will not affect these two aircraft.

SIA currently flies the A380 twice a day to London, and daily to Sydney, Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong. A new service to Melbourne will start on September 29.

SIA warned last month that it may post a loss this financial year, making it the first ever annual loss in its corporate history.

The carrier booked a loss of S$307 million for its fiscal first quarter ended June.

Thanks for posting the CNA report.

[feb01mel]

SIA, Airbus agree on new delivery schedule for eight A380 aircraft

SINGAPORE : Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on Thursday that it has agreed with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus on a revised delivery schedule for eight A380 aircraft on firm order.

"Under the new schedule, deliveries will take place between six months and 12 months later than originally planned, for the airline's 12th A380 through to the 19th," the airline said in a statement.

SIA will see the eight aircraft delivered between October 2010 and January 2012, versus the earlier schedule of April 2010 to January 2011.

The carrier currently operates nine A380s, with two more due for delivery in the current financial year that began April. It said the revised schedule will not affect these two aircraft.

SIA currently flies the A380 twice a day to London, and daily to Sydney, Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong. A new service to Melbourne will start on September 29.

SIA warned last month that it may post a loss this financial year, making it the first ever annual loss in its corporate history.

The carrier booked a loss of S$307 million for its fiscal first quarter ended June.

[SQKevin]

SQ have officially disclosed to the Singapore Stock Exchange that they have deferred delivery of the last 8 WhaleJets on order by six to twelve months each. The affected aircraft are 9V-SKL through 9V-SKS.

I'm guessing twelve months for 9V-SKL and six months for 9V-SKS. If I'm right, SQ would not be taking delivery of any WhaleJets in the 2010 fiscal year running from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011.

According to the Channel News Asia website, the SQ statement states that the 8 aircraft will be delivered between October 2010 and January 2012.