Hot on the heels of Qantas' announcement of its A380 interiors, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has revealed that tickets for the first commercial flight of the superjumbo will be sold for charity.
SIA will be the first carrier to take delivery of the A380 aircraft, and the airline says it will sell tickets for the historic flight (which is due to take place "in the month of October") on auction site ebay, with the proceeds going to charitable causes. Says Chew Choon Seng, CEO Singapore Airlines:
"The first commercial A380 flight will be a moment in aviation history. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, on an aircraft that will mark a new chapter in air travel. And while we will celebrate the event, we also wish to remember the people who are less fortunate and can be assisted by the charities to which all the proceeds will go."
So far SIA has kept tight lipped about the exact date of the October flight, or the layout of its A380 aircraft. Speculation has been rife on internet frequent flyer forums as to when SIA would take delivery of the first plane, with a report on French business website challenges.fr saying that the carrier could receive the aircraft as early as next month.
Enthusiasts interested in travelling on the first flight should register for further updates at singaporeair.com/a380 – the charities which will benefit from the proceeds of the flight include Medecins Sans Frontieres, Community Chest (a charity for underprivileged people based in Singapore), and two children's hospitals in Sydney.
Report by Mark Caswell
