Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi) has announced it will take delivery of its maiden A350-900 in January of next year. Following its arrival, the aircraft will then be used on flights to Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta and Kuala Lumpur International in April for crew familiarization before being deployed on direct longhaul flights to Amsterdam Schiphol thereafter.
“We are very much looking forward to the arrival of the new A350s which will be fitted with our newest-generation cabin products, providing more comfort to our customers. This includes new Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class seats, and the world’s most advanced in-flight entertainment system,” Lee Wen Fen, Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, said.
The Singaporean national carrier has a revised total of sixty-seven A350-900s on firm order from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) along with sixteen options.
Of the order, Singapore Airlines will also acquire the first seven of Airbus' newly launched A350 long haul variant - the A350-900(ULR) - which are slated to begin delivering in 2018. The Ultra Long Range jets will allow the airline to resume nonstop flights to the East Coast of the United States which it last did using its now phased out fleet of A340-500s.
“Our customers have been asking us to re-start non-stop Singapore-US flights and we are pleased that Airbus was able to offer the right aircraft to do so in a commercially viable manner,” said Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong. “This is another example of how we strive to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations by remaining at the forefront of product and service innovation in our industry. It will also further strengthen the Singapore hub by providing the fastest and most convenient air connectivity between North America and Southeast Asia.”
With a range of 8,700 nautical miles, the A350-900ULR features a modified fuel system to increase fuel carrying capacity, an increase in Maximum Take-Off Weight as well as aerodynamic improvements.
