A350 Deliveries and Routes

[sbs2716g]

9V-SMV n 9V-SMZ are only flying SQ32/31 this month

[SQ228]

9V-SMV n 9V-SMZ are only flying SQ32/31 this month

That’s about to end as SMV has headed off to AMS so a different plane will have to handle the next SQ32 departure but you’re right that they’ve been doing this until now.

This arrangement represents a significant deficit in fleet utilisation however, so there must really be something going on here that SQ has wanted to test out or achieve. From the beginning of SQ32/1, their timings were designed to interlock with the large bank of European flights- an A350 would leave SIN on Monday morning, returning from SFO on Tuesday evening ready to depart for Europe later that night, then arriving back in SIN at dawn on Thursday morning ready to be turned around for SFO again. In this way, three craft could fully service SFO and a European destination. By separating SFO from the European group, both flights then need two planes each, creating the need for an additional aircraft to do the same work.

[yuuka_miya]

Presumably they wanted to collect data on how the new batch of A350s are doing compared to the older ones, and SFO was the best flight to do so.

I'd think the improvements from the ULR program applied to all A350s would be worth investigating. Perhaps the change to 2017Y too?

Makes me wonder on the viability of putting them on LAX as well, and saving the ULR for someplace else.

[9V-JKL]

From the beginning of SQ32/1, their timings were designed to interlock with the large bank of European flights- an A350 would leave SIN on Monday morning, returning from SFO on Tuesday evening ready to depart for Europe later that night, then arriving back in SIN at dawn on Thursday morning ready to be turned around for SFO again. In this way, three craft could fully service SFO and a European destination. By separating SFO from the European group, both flights then need two planes each, creating the need for an additional aircraft to do the same work.

Your ability to figure out SQ's aircraft rotation never ceases to amaze me.

[SQ957]

Pure speculation: EWR goes 10x nonstop weekly, JFK downgauge to 77W.

There's a thread in airliners.net about a possible new SQ destination... and one of the most recent posts mention nonstop JFK with SIN-FRA-JFK downgraded to 77W and SIN-NRT-LAX upgraded to an A380. https://www.airliners.net/forum/view...5159&start=100

[oliverdave]

There's a thread in airliners.net about a possible new SQ destination... and one of the most recent posts mention nonstop JFK with SIN-FRA-JFK downgraded to 77W and SIN-NRT-LAX upgraded to an A380. https://www.airliners.net/forum/view...5159&start=100

I’m not saying that it’s impossible, but a direct JFK flight doesn’t make sense to me. The reason they chose EWR in the first place was because of connection possibilities with UA.

[SQ025]

There's a thread in airliners.net about a possible new SQ destination... and one of the most recent posts mention nonstop JFK with SIN-FRA-JFK downgraded to 77W and SIN-NRT-LAX upgraded to an A380. https://www.airliners.net/forum/view...5159&start=100

They struggle already with PEY demand on the ULR to the Westcoast and I assume that they are struggling with PEY demand (maybe not o the same extend) to EWR as well. Wouldn't make sense to add even more capacity.

[9V-JKL]

There's a thread in airliners.net about a possible new SQ destination... and one of the most recent posts mention nonstop JFK with SIN-FRA-JFK downgraded to 77W and SIN-NRT-LAX upgraded to an A380. https://www.airliners.net/forum/view...5159&start=100

Yeah, saw that.
Can NYC support 3x daily service?
Whatever the final re-jig of the US services will be, I think its certainly going to be interesting.

[SQ228]

Lufthansa would have to be consulted with regarding this issue I believe. Now that the joint venture has solved the problem of a half-empty plane between FRA & JFK, I gather LH would share that revenue. Equally LH would also have an interest in how much traffic to New York SQ might choose to siphon off using ULR flights perhaps. I once would have put money on SQ26/5 going 77W but I'm not anywhere near as sure now that I've seen so many passengers from Germany added to those flights in the past 2 years.

Returning to the main thread topic, it's unclear how much appetite SQ might have to start a brand new US destination, specifically given the situation with SEA. I've seen mentioned on here that they are adding an extra day but also that prices are beginning to fall. Unless you're inside SQ, it's impossible to know exactly what yield they are getting, but it's strange to be adding capacity if they're not already turning a profit. They must have a strategy but you can be sure they are keeping it secret!

[9V-JKL]

So SQ228 and I had a quick chat on the SQ/LH JV and we found that JV constraints SQ to the current capacity they have on the SIN-FRA route.

https://www.cccs.gov.sg/public-regis...apore-airlines

So he's right that LH needs to be consulted.

[SQ228]

So SQ228 and I had a quick chat on the SQ/LH JV and we found that JV constraints SQ to the current capacity they have on the SIN-FRA route.

https://www.cccs.gov.sg/public-regis...apore-airlines

So he's right that LH needs to be consulted.

Interesting though how I was right but not for the sector I was thinking!

The JV expressly prevents either party reducing capacity on SIN-FRA & SIN-ZRH routes, so if SQ26/5 were to reduce to a 77W, then SQ326/5 would need to gain the A380 instead. I can't see SQ326 going A380 and SQ have developed their German market to JFK, so it looks like status quo. (SQ325 would certainly be worthy of gaining the A380 off SQ25, but SQ aren't going to layover two aircraft for 15 hours at FRA or JFK.)

The FRA-JFK sector doesn't appear to be covered by the JV by our reading that both origination and destination must be within SQ/LH home markets but I find it interesting that neither MUC or DUS are ever specifically referred to even though they meet the criteria for coverage.

[Not You]

9V-SJA has debuted on revenue service operating SQ956/957/962/963 today.

[SQKevin]

9V-SHK has completed her CAF. Delivery should take place this Friday.



Photo source: a350production.net

[vader]

anyway just a little off topic, just completed a couple of flights and spoke to couple of frequent german route crews and word is that sq26/25 will be downgraded to a 77w sometime near or far, its going to happen but top management is not leaking when

[9V-SPL]

9V-SHK is scheduled to arrive in SIN on Saturday (30NOV19) with STA: 1430 as SQ8895.