Singapore Airlines plans year-round A350 flights to Australia
By Chris C., October 17 2016
Singapore Airlines plans to fly the Airbus A350 aircraft to Australia year-round, but won’t give any hints as to when that will occur.
Speaking with Australian Business Traveller at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, Singapore Airlines’ Divisional Vice President Public Affairs, Nicholas Ionides, affirmed that while the current temporary Singapore-Melbourne A350 flights “were only meant to be for a few months”, more permanent A350 services will follow.
“Naturally with 67 (A350) aircraft on order and 60 being the A350-900, it will end up in Australia at some point,” Ionides continues, assuring that while “I can’t give you a firm time right now, it’s (indeed) going to go permanently to Australia.”
Flying a predominantly long-range aircraft on medium-range routes like Singapore-Australia presents efficiency concerns for Singapore Airlines, because operating a return service to Australia doesn’t then provide enough time in the day for the aircraft to also visit a long-haul port.
“That’s why you see Johannesburg, Dusseldorf, Amsterdam and San Francisco converting to the A350 first,” Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, Campbell Wilson, explains to Australian Business Traveller.
“Clearly, for efficiency, you route the aircraft around short, medium and long haul to make sure they’re in the air most of the time, so I think Australia would likely be… I wouldn’t say de-prioritised, but the first priority will be the long-haul services,” Wilson elaborates.
Plans for new medium-haul Singapore Airlines Airbus A350s
Wilson continues to explain that as more A350s join the Singapore Airlines fleet, the airline would be in a position to grant “early retirement” to a number of Airbus A330 and Boeing 777-200 aircraft which currently serve Australia.
That’s why a new ‘medium-haul’ configuration of the Airbus A350 is on the cards, which would be better-aligned to SQ’s shorter flights, including those between Australia and The Lion City.
“It is correct to say that we are looking at a medium-haul configuration for the Airbus A350, but what that is exactly, we’ll share at the appropriate time,” teases Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong.
Wilson confirms that those aircraft would indeed house “a slightly different configuration” to the current batch of A350s, and that “the product will likely be released next year” when Singapore Airlines begins taking delivery of its newest batch of Airbus A380 superjumbos.
Ionides hints that the first medium-haul configured A350 will take wing in 2018, around the same time that the airline also becomes the proud owner of new Boeing 787-10s – but whether Australia will prove the first destination for the medium-haul A350s remains to be seen.
Also read:
- Airbus eyes A350 flights from Australia to Johannesburg, Santiago
- Qantas CEO – no plans to buy more Airbus A380s, are A350s up next?
- Singapore Airlines' ultra-long range A350 flights more about sleep than speed
- Can Singapore Airlines' Airbus A350 redefine long-range flying?
Chris Chamberlin is visiting Toulouse as a guest of Singapore Airlines and Airbus.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 May 2011
Total posts 233
Good scoop. It is interesting to hear the kind of decisions they face with organising their fleet.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Nov 2014
Total posts 357
Please don't install those horrible angled seats to these "medium haul" a350s. I would rather fly the "old" 772s but with flat beds that we Brisbanites received with much gratitude from the mercy of the SIA fleet management.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Feb 2015
Total posts 150
It would also be good to retain the PE cabin on the medium haul ones. They are a great option for flights up to 8 hours when it's not quite long enough for a full night sleep, instead a snooze in a bigger seat would be just fine.
Etihad - Etihad Guest
06 Apr 2012
Total posts 125
Couldn't agree more. Particularly when you are flying back to Australia via Singapore from a European destination. Having PE all the way through would be ideal.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Jul 2016
Total posts 106
Looking forwrd to it!
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1430
Actually the 787-10 from 2018 would make more sense than a A359, as it is more a regional jet optimised for those shortish (<8 hours) stages, unless the A359 is going onto Europe like the A380s tend to do.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
@patrickk:
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
10 Jan 2012
Total posts 258
I would love to see the A350 (Long or medium haul) to BNE so we had a PE option to SE Asia.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
31 Aug 2015
Total posts 121
I bet Adelaide will be seeing the A350 at some point. SG has been pretty successful in Adelaide.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Mar 2016
Total posts 167
Don't know, A350 was a gamble that didn't pay off for QR in ADL! Hope they switch it to Melbourne
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 580
somehow i don't think the people in Y would agree with the 787 being more comfortable or even the A350...I much prefer the 3-3-3 offered in their 77Ws with 19inch width
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Mar 2016
Total posts 167
Sorry, not the sort of comfort I meant, I should've been more specific. In terms of air quality, humidity levels and effective cabin altitude, they're more comfortable. For people with medical conditions, or even busy travellers heading for meetings, these things can make a big difference!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Mar 2016
Total posts 167
Looks like the A350 is heading back to MEL but only for a July - September season, replacing the A380 flight that leaves MEL at midnight.
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