Singapore Air Lines has been confirmed as the first A380 operator with an initial, and solo, aircraft due into passenger operation in October. It is expected to be used on the Singapore ” Sydney route, a nominal eight hours, and ideal for a single ”plane operation giving time at both ends to deal with any initial service problems. This first aircraft will include a number of innovations in addition to those unveiled last autumn when the carrier announced its new suite of cabin service products.
Speaking at the airline”s annual House of Commons reception SIA general manager for the UK and Ireland Marvin Tan said: ”Our new A380 service will encompass all these innovations, and a few more, when we unveil our planned interior later this year. We now expect to launch the first A380 service at the end of this year, with the inaugural London service beginning in early 2008.”
Now being installed in the carrier”s new Boeing 777-300ERs and destined for the Airbus A380s from the third quarter of this year, the new product is spearheaded by a 35in-wide leather first class seat that SIA describes as the most spacious premium class unit ever. Built-in amenities include a 23in LCD screen and a ”business panel” with USB port, in-seat power and a noise-reduction headset.
The business class seat is 30in wide and, like the first class unit, capable of reclining fully flat. It includes a 15.4in LCD monitor, a dining table adjustable for height, and an under-seat trolley bag stowage area.
In economy class the new seat with 10.6in screen is the work of US company Weber Aircraft. Its design was influenced by a market research campaign that included a survey of over 150 travellers: in transit through Singapore Changi, they were invited to assess four designs of seat installed in an aircraft parked at one of the gates.
The new set of cabin configurations and upgrades will roll out over the coming months throughout the SIA fleet. It entered service on the six 777-300ERs that the airline received last year and introduced on its routes to Paris and Zurich.
All passengers have access to the new version of the airline”s KrisWorld IFE service, offering over 1,000 on-demand options, along with spreadsheet, presentation and word-processing office tools. USB ports give the user additional access to the system, and the handset is mounted on the seatback for easier access. Other features include in-seat power and a non-intrusive reading light mounted beneath the screen.