SIA receives new aircraft to renew
existing fleet
Singapore Airlines is cruising ahead with its fleet renewal
plans despite the economic downturn.
It received its first A330-300 today at the Airbus headquarters.
The airline plans to lease 19 of such aircraft to replace some of
the current Boeing 777 plying the medium-haul routes.
Transport reporter Lin Jiamei witnessed the handover in
Toulouse, France.
It was barely a week ago when Singapore Airlines announced that it
would cut back on some 200 flights due to falling passenger
numbers.
But the airline says this does not mean it intends to scale back on
its fleet renewal plans.
The A330-300 which comes with the airline’s updated cabin products,
is one example.
SIA will receive another 7 such aircraft this year that will ply
the medium haul routes to Australia, Malaysia and Japan, starting
March.
SIA’s Executive Vice President of Operations and Services Mak Swee
Wah said, “certainly there will be costs but we see this as an
investment. Product upgrade is a long term thing it is not
something that we say, well this year is a bad time so let us cut
back. We will be managing costs in other ways, just like any other
airlines. All these aircraft have been committed so we will
continue to take them as scheduled. We will be continuing to take
delivery, all 19 of them, over the next two years.”
Speaking to reporters after the handover ceremony, Mr Mak also gave
an update on the A380 aircraft.
SIA currently has six A380s plying selected long haul routes.
But will falling passenger numbers result in the superjumbos being
underutilised? Mr Mak again, "we believe that these key routes will
be able to sustain an aircraft as large as the A380. Even during
this time. I think we got to look at this in perspective. There is
a slowdown but I think people are still travelling. Maybe the
growth is not as robust as people but there is still movement of
people, but I believe there is still a market for our services so
we are putting the aircraft to where the demand is”.
--938Live