A380 1st Flights/Delivery Flights Thread

[sq_a380]

But the A380s are supposed to replace the 744s somehow, if it only replaces 1 flight to LHR, what aircraft will operate the other flights?

[zvezda]

But the A380s are supposed to replace the 744s somehow, if it only replaces 1 flight to LHR, what aircraft will operate the other flights?

Not long ago, SQ operated 45 JumboJets in their passenger fleet. There is no way they will all be replaced by WhaleJets. Now, SQ operate 24 Jumbos (was 27 about a month ago). Even those won't all be replaced by WhaleJets.

In general, SQ will increase frequencies and add destinations (so that fewer of their passengers have to connect onto/from other airlines).

Specifically with LHR, the other flights will be operated by the B777-300ER.

[jjpb3]

But the A380s are supposed to replace the 744s somehow, if it only replaces 1 flight to LHR, what aircraft will operate the other flights?

The LHR flights aren't equally full. IME, the middle one (SQ319) has often flown with enough free seats in Y, for example, that I've had the entire row to myself. This contrasts with the relatively full cabins I've experienced on SQ317 and 321. (I can't speak for Raffles, although the couple of times I've flown SQ317 in Raffles, the UD was full.)

[Rejuvenated]

Very interesting. Not sure about Y but looking through the KVS tools for loads in F & J for Dec & Jan, it is very difficult to tell which flights are filling up more than the other. On certain days one flight (in no particular consistency) are outfilling the other two. Certain days it would be 317, some others it would be 319, and some others it would be 321. I definately agree that all three flights aren't equally full in that all 3 flights are taking turns in outperforming the other two on days when not all 3 flights are sold out.

I'm taking 321 tomorrow night. Not because I prefered it to be that way, but rather because when I booked my *A award tix, my prefered SQ319 was not available for redemption and 321 on the other hand was available.

To me there seems to be more of a balance between the 3 flights on LHR-SIN than SIN-LHR. On the opposite direction the heavy load seems to be weighted a lot more on 322 than 320 or 308. I believe SQ may have to consider a 2nd nightly SIN-LHR service.

[zvezda]

I believe SQ may have to consider a 2nd nightly SIN-LHR service.

Early morning arrival slots at LHR are the most expensive to obtain. If SQ had been willing to buy or lease another pair of (early morning) slots, they could have operated 4x B777-300ER service to LHR and wouldn't have needed to buy the WhaleJet.

[9V-JKL]

Airbus starts painting first A380 for Singapore Airlines

Airbus starts painting first A380 for Singapore Airlines
11 April 2007
http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre...rst_paint.html

Following timely completion of the cabin installation of the first A380 for Singapore Airlines, Airbus has started the paintwork on this aircraft. The A380 will stay about three weeks in the company's paint-shop in Hamburg/Germany. In addition to the actual painting, most of the other work in the paint-shop is cleaning, grinding, masking and unmasking the 3,100 square metres of surface of the A380.

About 3,600 liters of chromate-free paint is used for three layers of paint (primer, customer-paint, top-coat) for an A380. Only 600 to 1,000 kg of paint stays on the aircraft. Each layer is only measuring about 0.120 mm and is able to withstand differences in temperatures of about 100 degrees Celsius.

Airbus is applying the most modern and environmental friendly techniques for the A380 painting process. Electrostatic pistols are used to minimize paint mist. Used air is cleaned and washed through a multi-stage cleaning process to ensure that paint particles are disposed separately.

A380 launch customer Singapore Airlines is to take delivery of its first A380 in October this year.

Airbus is an EADS company.

[MAN Flyer]

Taken from Business Traveller

Airbus' first production A380 super jumbo for Singapore Airlines (SIA) is completed and ready for testing. This week SIA senior management looked over the plane on the A380's final assembly line (FAL) in Hamburg.

This particular A380 is the first of the super jumbos to have the correct interior (the A380s currently flying on test have atypical interiors) and SIA is still keeping the details a closely guarded secret. But according to Airbus, production staff are excited by the results achieved. "We are entering a new world of cabin furnishing," says Peter Hahn, head of the A380's FAL, "the interior looks fantastic and brings a brand new dimension to the onboard experience that SIA can offer its passengers."

The premium seating will be the same design as that already fitted to SIA's new fleet of B777-300ERs and which has been extensively reviewed on this website. And SIA has stated that its A380s will seat no more than 480 passengers on a plane whose theoretical capacity is 555. The airline has also confirmed its A380 interior won't be OTT. Says a spokesman, "What we offer must be economically viable and so passengers will not find amenities like showers and bowling alleys."

What is not clear is the layout SIA will adopt. In business class will SIA still retain the spacious four-across layout seen with its B777-300ERs? In first class will SIA take advantage of the larger cabin to provide its top passengers with facilities like a lounge area and stand-up bar?

SIA's first A380 will make its first flight this summer and will be handed over in October. The airline hopes to operate its first A380 service flight between Singapore and Sydney this December in time for the busy Festive season. It is then expected to make its debut on SIA's flagship Singapore-Heathrow route early in 2008.

Initially the one A380 will operate three flights a week on the route. It's expected to operate SIA's busy overnight flight SQ332 departing from Singapore at 2320 and arriving in Heathrow at 0550. It will return with SQ317 at 1200 reaching Singapore at 0745.

The number of A380-operated flights on the London-Singapore-Sydney route will be stepped up as more planes enter the fleet. And the A380 is set to operate across the SIA network.

Speaking from the UK viewpoint, Marvin Tan, SIA's UK country manager says, "Our long-term plan is to operate A380s on all three of our daily Singapore-London and Singapore-Sydney services. Because each A380 holds 100 passengers more than a B747 it means we can offer as many seats on these routes as provided by four B747 flights."


Looks like they've been fed a dummy over the F on the A380....

[Lobster]

Looks like they've been fed a dummy over the F on the A380....

I hope so but I have now heard a couple of rumours that F on the A380 will be the same as on the 77W

[9V-JKL]

1st plane paintjob done:
http://210.193.52.109/staging/A380/g...painting.html#

Look at the size of the 'Singapore Airlines' words

[zvezda]

I hope so but I have now heard a couple of rumours that F on the A380 will be the same as on the 77W

What SQ have actually said is that the "passenger experience" will be better on the WhaleJet than on the 777-300ER. SQ have said nothing about the seats being different. Just making the aisles wider than the super-narrow aisles on the 777-300ER would improve the passenger experience. The same 4 seats arranged 4 abreast would provide a much better passenger experience due to the wider cabin. I envision the F cabin on the WhaleJet having only window seats in the first two rows (with the stairs between) and then two rows of 1-2-1, for 12F total.

If I were SQ, I would include an Executive Economy section for high-fare passengers with more pitch and more attentive service. It would have the side benefit of keeping most of the screaming babies farther from the premium passengers.

[MAN Flyer]

There will be a brand new F seat on the A380. They think it's that good they've considered changing the name of the product. There will be 12 seats in the cabin.

They also looked - in great detail - at going four class on the 380 with an equivalent of BA's WT+, but decided against it.

[zvezda]

There will be a brand new F seat on the A380. They think it's that good they've considered changing the name of the product.

They could call it Raffles class.

[kkjay77]

They could call it Raffles class.

Maybe they should call the new first class a "Fullerton Class"
I like fullerton over raffles anyways.

[9V-JKL]

First batch of SIA pilots heads to Toulouse for A380 training

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...286198/1/.html

[CGK]

A big bird told me that the A380 will make appearance again at Changi August 13 or around that day. Sorry, too much Piper. Forgot the exact date. I just remember I will miss this by one or two days from my arrival at SIN.