CAPA: SQ to retire A380s coming off lease

[FN-GM]

Could be TG as well.

Didn't know TG was getting rid of the A380's!

[leops1984]

Didn't know TG was getting rid of the A380's!

It's one of those things that's whispered and officially denied, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. TG has been in a lot of financial trouble lately, and the political/regulatory conditions there are not helping. It's possible that they would end up ditching the A380s as part of a MH-like turnaround plan.

If I remember correctly there were anonymous rumors last year that Thai was "studying the role" of the A380, but they were officially denied later on by the airline president.

I would say the order of probability of any used A380s ending up in the hands of BA would be:

1. MH
2. SQ
3. TG

[SQ228]

9V-SKA is finally back in the air, but not without problems. Flew to SYD as SQ221 last night and is now returning as SQ232 but left SYD over 4.5 hours late. SQ222 is less than an hour behind it and SQ212 ran completely to schedule this morning, so the delay seems specific to SKA, not anything affecting SYD.

[leops1984]

MH's A380s are off the market - until at least 2018.

http://www.reuters.com/article/singa...A?feedType=RSS

[9V-JKL]

Does this change the 'retirement' plan?

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has signed a ‘Flight Hour Services - Tailored Support Package’ (FHSTSP) contract with Airbus to integrate and provide full component support, line and base airframe maintenance, as well as fleet technical management services for SIA’s 19 A380s. Under this 10-year agreement with Airbus, Singapore Airlines will benefit from the experience and expertise offered by Airbus in the areas of maintenance, engineering, reliability and supply chain management – partnering together with its affiliated MRO SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC).

http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pr...ts-a380-fleet/

[259850]

Does this change the 'retirement' plan?

Probably not. The first five leased aircraft will be returned just around when the five new orders arrive. So SQ will be still operating 19 A380s come 2020.

[9V-SPL]

http://www.ausbt.com.au/singapore-ai...t-class-suites

Singapore Airlines plans to reduce the number of first class suites in the next wave of its flagship Airbus A380s, although the remaining private suites are expected to be larger.
Speaking at the handover ceremony for SQ's first Airbus A350 in Toulouse, Singapore Airlines CEO Mr Goh Choon Phong confirmed that superjumbos to be delivered from 2017 would see fewer suites at the pointy end.

[CarbonMan]

NineVictor just put out a post stating that 9V-SKA's lease will lapse in Oct 2017. No word on the rest.

[9V-JKL]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...0/3125966.html

[FN-GM]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...0/3125966.html

No massive shock really. The early builds of aircraft are rarely popular 10 years down the line.

[SQ228]

No massive shock really. The early builds of aircraft are rarely popular 10 years down the line.

Agreed, not at all. I'm sure SKA has spent more extended periods on the tarmac than any other plane in their current fleet.

[9V-JKL]

So a year or so after they put S seats into SKA, they're going to rip it out...
Or will it end up in one of the 5 A380s that have not been re-configured?

[mr_botak]

"We are confident in the market for second-hand A380s"

Yup - confident, that with regret, there isn't one.

[SQ228]

So a year or so after they put S seats into SKA, they're going to rip it out...
Or will it end up in one of the 5 A380s that have not been re-configured?

It would appear that all 5 due to come off lease have been fitted for PEY.

Initially they did SKA, then SKF onwards. I assumed that SKA was kind of an "experiment" given they had it on the ground for so many other reasons so often and really, who would want to take it on after SQ return it. But then SKD & E were fitted out and then eventually SKB & C. All A380s without PEY are now of the all upper-J variant.

To be honest, I can't keep track of this PEY disaster any longer. All logic and sense with its installation and roll out disappeared months ago. Nothing makes sense when you look at where they are flying to.