Singapore Airlines Receives Airbus A380

Filed in archive Aviation Travel on October 17, 2007

It was a proud day for Airbus as singapore airlines received its Airbus A380. The world's largest jetliner arrived at Changi Airport before next week's anticipated inaugural flight. Aviation enthusiasts are calling the flight "one of the most significant events in aviation."

The Airbus A380 is an ordinary airplane. It comes with "Singapore Airline Suites", outfitted with a bed, a flat screen television, a reclining chair, and a table. All of this can be yours for the low price of $6,819. Singapore Airlines is calling the suite as "a class beyond first."

"This is the most anticipated event this century in aviation," said Bey Soon Khiang, a senior executive vice president of the airline. "A380 is a game-change. This week the game changes."

Airbus formally delivered the plane on Monday in Toulouse, France, where the superjumbo was constructed. The jetliner, which took seven years and about $13 billion to develop, rolled off the assembly line nearly two years behind schedule.

After one week's preparations at Changi, the plane will take off for its first commercial flight to Sydney on Oct. 25 as flight SQ380. Seats on the inaugural flight were sold on an online auction and raised $1.25 million for charity.

The new luxuries in air are meant to entice top-end passengers of other carriers.

"We want to see all premium passengers of all carriers to shift to us," Bey said. "At the back (economy class) also, we hope to get passengers from everywhere."

He said Singapore Airlines will replace all 14 of its Boeing 747-400s, the nearest rival to A380, within four years. Bey said he was optimistic that Airbus will be able to deliver the remaining 18 planes that Singapore Airlines has ordered on time.

Singapore Airlines has created a lot of hype around the new plane, which is touted as more fuel-efficient than others and is the most silent among all large passenger jets.