Channel NewsAsia - 2 hours 15
minutes ago
SIAs A380
charity flight auction raises over S$1.9m
SINGAPORE : Almost all seats on the Singapore Airlines A380 First
Flight Charity Auction have been sold and more than US$1.32 million
(or S$1.9 million) has been raised.
SIA said bidders have opened their wallets generously and
enthusiastically to support the online charity auction over the
last two weeks.
638 seats have been snapped up for the twoleg the inaugural
commercial flight.
The bids ranged from a bargain of US$560 (S$853) to a whopping
US$100,380 (S$153,000).
One Singaporean bought 3 Singapore Airlines Suites, 2 Business
Class seats and an Economy Class seat on the SingaporeSydney
sector and paid US$56,000 (S$85,280) for the 6 seats.
Australians made up the biggest group of successful bidders 15
percent while 11 percent are Singaporeans, 6 percent Britons, 4
percent Americans and 3 percent Germans.
The rest of the 60 percent come from all over the world.
The ages of the successful bidders are just as interestingly
diverse.
The youngest is a man from San Francisco, who will turn 22 on the
day of the flight, to a 76yearold from Vancouver, Canada.
Only about 20 seats are left.
Bidding closes at the end of this week.
SIA said the proceeds from the auction will be split three
ways.
One third will go to Singapores Community Chest, one third to two
childrens charities in Sydney (the Sydney Childrens Hospital in
Randwick, and The Childrens Hospital at Westmead) and the
remaining third to global humanitarian organisation Medicins Sans
Frontieres (also known as Doctors without Borders).
The cheques will be presented to the beneficiaries when the A380
makes its inaugural flight on October 25 and 26. CNA/ch