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Andrew K

Singapore Airlines to Resume Non Stop Flights to the US

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Published: Sunday January 25, 2009 MYT 7:08:00 PM

 

Beleagured SIA cuts four single-class flights

By KARAMJIT KAUR

 

 

SINGAPORE: National carrier Singapore Airlines’ non-stop, business-class-only flights to the United States have become the latest casualties of a global downturn in travel.

 

A drop in passengers has prompted the carrier to axe four of the 14 such services it offers to Los Angeles and New York weekly.

 

From Feb 17 to March 25, there will be no flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. What happens after will be subject to review, the airline told The Straits Times.

 

According to some travellers, the 100-seat Airbus 340-500s used on the routes were flying with over 70% of their seats empty on some days.

 

Details of the Singapore-US flight cuts come more than a week after it was revealed that SIA is cutting 214 other flights, mainly regional services, until the end of March. This follows a marked downturn in global travel sparked by the financial crisis.

 

According to the latest data compiled by the International Air Transport Association, demand for first- and business-class seats fell 12% last November, compared with the same month in 2007. Overall demand fell 5% during the same time. --

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What will happen to the birds then?

 

I assume they will probably do some regional flights to Jakarta, Hong Kong and maybe even KL.

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The aircraft will probably spend plenty of time idle on the ground and having little maintenance jobs performed. I think in terms of engine/airframe hours - they are getting quite close to some of the heavier maintenance checks - a good time to start looking at replacing them.

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Hmm ... pretty sure CGK and HKG will get the 345 for the time being then. Don't think KUL will get it though.

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The aircraft will probably spend plenty of time idle on the ground and having little maintenance jobs performed. I think in terms of engine/airframe hours - they are getting quite close to some of the heavier maintenance checks - a good time to start looking at replacing them.

 

 

The 345s are still relatively young aircraft, any suggestion of short term replacement is far-fetched. SQ's depreciation of aircraft is normally 12 years. The oldest 345 is barely 6 years old.

 

Hmm ... pretty sure CGK and HKG will get the 345 for the time being then. Don't think KUL will get it though.

 

SQ954/955 SIN-CGK was op by 345s before being swapped back to 772s last Nov. HKG will be reduced to 5 from 6 daily flts, unlikely to see the 345 deployed there too.

Edited by Nick C

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The 345s are still relatively young aircraft, any suggestion of short term replacement is far-fetched. SQ's depreciation of aircraft is normally 12 years. The oldest 345 is barely 6 years old.

 

They may not even be replaced. SIA has a history of abandoning non-profit generating ventures without hesitation or fear of loss of public image. The 345's have proved to be a costly operation with limited potential - highly noticeable with the cancellation of the addition 5 options SIA had held previously.

 

 

 

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Three years after a controversial launch, Singapore Airlines is reviewing its options to stem losses on its non-stop, all-business-class flights to New York and Los Angeles.

Company sources say that the national carrier is likely to reintroduce economy-class seats to these flights in a bid to boost revenue.

Reconfiguring its five A345 planes - fuel-guzzlers built for long journeys - to include economy seats will be an expensive undertaking. But rising fuel prices have made the status quo untenable, said sources.

The two routes, the longest all-business-class flights in the world, have been consistently loss-making for the national carrier since their launch in May 2008. Still, they were kept on SIA's roster for their 'ultra-premium' status, even as business-class demand from the US plunged after the 2008 financial crisis. But historically high fuel prices are now forcing SIA management's hand.

 

Source: straitstimes.com/BreakingNews

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http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/sia-scrap-non-stop-us-flights-2013-20121026

 

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has decided to pull the plug on its non-stop flights to Los Angeles and New York after years of struggling with poor returns.

 

With the end of the services from late next year, all travellers heading to Los Angeles will have to transit in Tokyo, Japan, while those flying to New York will stop in Frankfurt, Germany.

 

It will also mark the end of the world's longest commercial flight - 18 hours from Singapore to New York.

 

SIA launched its non-stop service to the United States amid much fanfare in 2004, with the ultra long-haul Airbus 345 aircraft. The aircraft, of which the airline has five, initially came in two classes - 64 seats in business class and 117 in the premium economy cabin.

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Boeing must have sold it really cheap to Sheldon.

Nah, it was Airbus who took those back from SQ and stored them at LDE.

 

Delivery flight was from LDE-LAS

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What a sorry sight! Our PM should seriously look at acquiring one of these (at low cost) instead of paying annual leasing fees to Comlux. I think the Thai A345s are in better condition than the SQ ones as they have fewer cycles. The Thai PM sometimes use these spare aircraft on long haul overseas trips too.

 

I don't think we will see the Bahamas reggo'ed Sands A345 anytime soon - it should be going in for a luxury interior refit before it is ready to serve the patrons of the casino. We may yet see it back at SIN! :)

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web.jpg


Singapore Airlines Ltd. is impatient to restore nonstop flights to the U.S.


The airline is in talks with Airbus Group SE and Boeing Co. on developing a plane with new technology that would allow it to fly nonstop to the U.S. profitably, Singapore Air Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said. In 2013, the carrier stopped the 19-hour trip from Singapore to New York, adding about five more hours to travel between the cities.


“We, of course, want it as soon as possible,” Goh said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin. “There isn’t really a commercially viable aircraft that could fly nonstop.”


Reviving nonstop flights to the U.S. will help the carrier fill a gap in its network that’s benefiting Asia-Pacific rivals Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and Qantas Airways Ltd. The all-business-class daily flights from Singapore to Los Angeles and Newark, New Jersey, ended as the routes were not profitable with aircraft that flew with four engines, analysts said.


Full report here:


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I think SQ should be more patient for new engine technology to become available. SIN-EWR is a very long route and having an engine that burns far less fuel would mean that the aircraft does not use up so much of its lifting capacity just to carry fuel for the trip. Even with the A350-900, I am still unsure if the economics of a SIN-LAX non stop route makes sense - perhaps it may if the aircraft has a business class plus premium economy class configuration.

 

I think that by 2025 to 2030, engines that feature geared turbofans should become commercially available in high thrust versions. That may be the time to rethink ultra long non stop routes.

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Viable means carrying more than 120 pax that their old A345 was able to. Sure it had a higher yield due to the all Business cabin but it will not stand the shock of an economic crisis, which was what had happened back in 08-09

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The A345 only had 100 seats and it is very comfortable for the flight that sometimes take over 20 hours! But when the price of oil went up to over USD 150, SQ could not make a profit despite having very good load factors.

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SQ wants it ASAP, B777-200LR is readily available.

I think an all business class B788 might be better suited for the task, if they are looking at currently available aircraft.

 

However, I think that they are probably looking more at a two or three class service - hence they are fishing for info from the manufacturers with regards to future aircraft.

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Why would they talk to Airbus when Airbus had given them the false promise twice. First on the A343 and then A345! May be they should talk to Boeing instead!

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Actually, the A345 was doing OK when oil prices were below USD 80. However, aircraft manufacturers have learnt that there is very little demand for ULH aircraft. There must be a breakthrough in aerodynamics and engine technology before ULH aircraft can have the economics of the B737/A320...


Furthermore, ULH routes like SIN-EWR require double crews - all this add to higher than average operating costs. So, it will not be easy to justify restarting the route unless profitability is guaranteed!

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So, it will not be easy to justify restarting the route unless profitability is guaranteed!

If you apply that sort of restriction, nothing will ever get off ground in real world scenario :lol:

Seriously, guaranteed profitability ..... ?!!

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