Singapore Airlines (SIA) has revealed that Amsterdam will be the first long-haul destination for deployment of its soon-to-be-delivered Airbus A350.
The carrier’s first aircraft is entering the last phase of production, and has already been painted with SIA’s livery. The airline expects to take delivery of the A350 in January 2016, and to begin the Amsterdam service a few months later.
Prior to the deployment of the aircraft on its Amsterdam route, SIA will likely first deploy it on commercial short-haul flights around the region to help with crew familiarisation. Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta are touted as possible destinations.
Tan Pee Tech, SIA’s senior vice president for product and services, told Channel News Asia: "Singapore Airlines expects to take delivery of the first new plane in January next year, with services scheduled to begin in April 2016."
The fuel-efficient aircraft, described by Tan as “game changing”, will open up new possibilities for SIA as it seeks to maintain its longstanding commitment of operating a modern fleet.
The airline’s chief executive, Goh Choon Phong, has revealed in previous interviews that he wants SIA to once again be able to operate non-stop flights between Singapore and the US profitably.
To that end, SIA is working closely with both Airbus and Boeing to develop an aircraft capable of doing so. Airbus’ executive vice president for strategy and marketing, Kiran Rao, has since confirmed that the manufacturer is working to develop a long-range variant of the A350 for SIA.
For more information, visit singaporeair.com
Clement Huang
