Singapore Airlines to Operate A380s to New York

Singapore Airlines will begin operating the Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, on the Singapore-Frankfurt-New York route from January 15, 2012.

Frankfurt and New York will be Singapore Airlines’ ninth and tenth A380 destinations. New York will also be the second point in North America to be added to the list (SIA already operates A380s to Los Angeles).

Singapore Airlines says the A380 has proven exceptionally popular with customers, with strong loads on all routes it serves. Systemwide, more than 5.6 million customers have flown on SIA’s A380s since the carrier’s inaugural flight in October 2007 to Sydney.

Singapore Airlines has a total of 19 Airbus A380 superjumbos in service and on order, plus options on six more

The daily Airbus A380 flights will replace an existing daily Boeing 747-400 service to New York JFK via Frankfurt, representing a daily increase of 25 per cent in seat capacity.

“The introduction of the A380 to Frankfurt and New York is another milestone for Singapore Airlines. For the United States, our customers will be able to enjoy the latest cabin products on all routes, in addition to having the A380 serving both east and west coasts,” says Mak Swee Wah, Singapore Airlines’ executive vice president commercial. “For Germany, it will also mean offering our customers the latest cabin products on both of our daily Frankfurt flights as well as our daily Munich flights.”

Exclusively available on SIA’s A380s are the Singapore Airlines Suites. Each suite offers customers a high level of privacy in an exclusive cabin in the sky, featuring a sliding door and adjustable roller blinds. Each suite is furnished with a fully adjustable leather seat, upholstered by Poltrona Frau, and a full-sized bed. For entertainment, customers can watch a 23-inch high-resolution LCD monitor, mounted on the wall in each suite.

Singapore Airlines A380 Business Class offers a seat which is 86 centimeters (34 inches) in width, which SIA says is the widest in its class. Each seat has direct access to the aisle and can be converted into a wide bed, simply by folding down the seat back.

Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines’ new, ergonomically designed Economy Class seat not only maximizes knee and legroom, but also boasts intelligent features such as a non-intrusive reading light and height-adjustable leather headrests with side panels.

Customers in all three classes have access to a wide range of the latest movies, TV programs and a library of CDs on KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines’  in-flight entertainment system. In-flight meals, designed exclusively by well-known chefs such as Suzanne Goin from the United States, Zhu Jun from China and Sam Leong from Singapore, are served and presented on exclusive Givenchy-designed serviceware.

Singapore Airlines currently has 13 A380s in service and a further six on firm order.