Airline News

Singapore Airlines, in a submission to the government's National Aviation Policy Green Paper, said it believes the international air services policies of past governments have "not adequately balanced competing interests and that this has come at a cost to the tourism industry and consumer generally, through missed opportunities to capitalise on growth".

It singled out the so-called transpacific route between Australia and the US for particular criticism, saying that Australia's regulatory approach "maintains protection for Australian carriers, which is counter to its position of supporting open and free trade elsewhere."

The route is currently dominated by national carrier Qantas Airways and UAL Corp's United Airlines, due to a policy of only allowing Australian and US carriers to fly the route.

The Australian and US governments signed an open-skies agreement, allowing Australian or US-owned airlines to fly freely between the two countries, earlier this year. But the route is still closed to outside players such as Singapore Airlines.

"There is simply not enough competition on the transpacific route, with only Qantas and United Airlines servicing the route directly from Australia and fares are very high and uncompetitive as a result," Singapore Airlines said.

A third carrier, Virgin Blue, is finalising plans to fly between Australia and the US, via its V Australia unit, by the end of the year.

Protecting Qantas' interests is "serving only the interests of Qantas, not Australia's national interest, which depends on tourism growth," Singapore Airlines said.

Qantas operates around 50 services per week between Australia and Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. United Airlines has around 14 weekly services, while Hawaiian Airlines flies three times per week between Honolulu and Sydney.

Singapore Airlines said it is a "long-term player in the Australian market" and has a "keen interest" in developing a strong relationship with the new Australian government.

The airline has long coveted access to the lucrative transpacific route and had hoped a change in government in Australia last November would see a softening of opposition to its ambitions.

Australian Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said in February that his government has no immediate plans to grant foreign carriers access to the Australia to US route and would only consider it if it was deemed in the interests of Australian travellers and the economy.

The Victorian government, in a separate submission, also called on the federal government to grant Singapore Airlines and other "third country" airlines access to the Australia to US route.

It said that, despite the recent open skies agreement with the US, establishing new services to Australia is not a high priority for US airlines. It wants the government to set a timetable for allowing Singapore Airlines and other international carriers access to the route.

Source: www.theaustralian.news.com.au

Labels: australia, open skies deal, Singapore Airlines

The Airbus A380 super-jumbo has completed its first European commercial flight after a plane from Singapore landed at London's Heathrow airport.

news.bbc.co.uk

Labels: A380, Heathrow, Singapore Airlines

The world's largest passenger jet will take off for Tokyo from Singapore on May 20, making it the third commercial destination for the Airbus A380 plane from the city-state.

reuters.com

Labels: A380, Singapore Airlines, tokyo

A Singapore Airlines flight to Beijing was forced to return to the city-state following "signs of loss of cabin pressure", the airline said today.

theage.com.au

Labels: emergency landing, Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines could soon be competing against British Airways and Virgin Atlantic on lucrative transatlantic routes from London after a new aviation agreement was signed this week.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Labels: Singapore Airlines, transatlantic

Buoyant travel demand has raised net profits at Singapore Airlines (SIA) by 73.2 percent in the three months to September compared with the same period a year ago, the airline said Wednesday.

afp.google.com

Labels: profit, Singapore Airlines

The A380 may have the world's first airborne double bed, but it won’t be put to the obvious use if Singapore Airlines has its way: "If couples used our double beds to engage in inappropriate activity, we would politely ask them to desist,"...

timesonline.co.uk

Labels: A380, Singapore Airlines

The world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, has landed in Sydney on its first commercial flight, after a seven-hour journey from Singapore.

news.bbc.co.uk

Labels: A380, Singapore, Singapore Airlines, Sydney

Airbus has delivered its first finished A380 superjumbo jet to Singapore Airlines, 18 months behind schedule.

news.bbc.co.uk

Labels: A380, Singapore Airlines

The first scheduled A380 flight will take place on 28 October
Airbus is set to hand over its first finished A380 "superjumbo" to Singapore Airlines on Monday, 18 months behind schedule.

news.bbc.co.uk

Labels: A380, Singapore Airlines

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and Air China Ltd. slumped in Hong Kong trading after scrapping plans to challenge Singapore Airlines Ltd. for a stake in China's third- largest carrier.

bloomberg.com

Labels: air china, cathay pacific, China, Singapore Airlines

TOLL Holdings' plans to offload its 62 per cent stake in Virgin Blue has so far received a lukewarm response, with Singapore Airlines already ruling itself out and Emirates playing down rumours it is interested in the domestic airline.

theage.com.au

Labels: Emirates, Singapore Airlines, takeover, Virgin Blue

Singapore Airlines has announced the commencement of three additional services from Chennai, taking the total number to 10 times a week. In addition to the night flights seven days a week, there will be morning flights every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday from Chennai to Singapore.

Source: chennaionline.com

Labels: chennai, Singapore Airlines

Australians will be the largest national group of passengers on the Singapore Airlines A380 maiden flight.

news.com.au

Labels: A380, australia, Singapore Airlines

Shares in China Eastern Airlines soared Monday after the carrier announced a deal to sell a combined 24 percent stake to Singapore Airlines and Temasek Holdings, Singapore's government investment arm.

forbes.com (page not found)

Labels: China Eastern, Singapore Airlines

Air China, the world's largest carrier by market value, will consider a merger with China Southern Airlines to fend off Singapore Airlines and other overseas carriers adding flights into the country.

nytimes.com

Labels: air china, china southern airlines, merger, Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines Ltd., Asia's most profitable carrier, will buy a stake in China Eastern Airlines Corp., gaining more access to a market forecast to grow fivefold by 2025.

bloomberg.com

Labels: China Eastern, Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines Ltd., the first carrier in the world to fly the new superjumbo A380, said Thursday the first delivery of the hulking jet has been set for Oct. 15.

nytimes.com

Labels: A380, Singapore Airlines

British billionaire Richard Branson declined to rule out a stock market listing for Virgin Atlantic in the event that his Virgin Group bought out its Singapore partner in the airline.

reuters.com

Labels: richard branson, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic

Singapore Airlines yesterday vowed to resume its campaign to fly the lucrative Pacific Route to the US after the Australian election campaign.

theaustralian.news.com.au

Labels: australia, Singapore Airlines, US

The wingtips of two Singapore Airlines (SIA) planes hit each other while preparing for take-off at Changi Airport, but nobody was injured, SIA said Sunday.

forbes.com

Labels: collide, Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is named as winner of the prestigious Airline of the Year title, top honour of the 2007 World Airline Awards.

worldairlineawards.com

Labels: airline of the year, Singapore Airlines, world airline awards

Singapore Airlines, the world's biggest airline by stock market value, said on Thursday that it would raise the surcharge on tickets due to rising jet fuel prices in recent months.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Labels: Singapore Airlines, surcharge

The clamor for seats on board the world's biggest passenger aircraft - the Airbus A380 - has prompted Singapore Airlines to auction seats on the Internet for its inaugural flight later this year.

voanews.com

Labels: A380, Airbus, Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines remains the most popular international airline among readers of Travel & Leisure, but startup Maxjet Airways debuted just behind the perennial favorite.

bizjournals.com

Labels: Maxjet, Singapore Airlines

British billionaire Richard Branson says there is a "possibility" he will buy back a 49 per cent stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways from Singapore Airlines.

theage.com.au

Labels: richard branson, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic

Singapore Airlines is reviewing ownership of its 49 per cent stake in Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic amid a sell-down of assets considered non-strategic to the airline.

theage.com.au

Labels: richard branson, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic

Singapore Airlines has awarded a $3.7 billion contract to Airbus for 20 new A350s on the last day of the Paris Air Show.

seattlepi.com

Labels: Airbus, Paris Air Show, Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is reportedly about to buy a 25% stake in China Eastern Airlines.

bbc.co.uk

Labels: buyer, China Eastern, Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines has invited bids from agencies to update their advertising campaign, which could spell the end of the iconic 'Singapore Girl'.

usatoday.com

Labels: advertising, Singapore Airlines, Singapore Girl