Singapore Airlines to redeploy Airbus A380 Superjumbo to India from January
Mumbai, December 17
Southeast Asian carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced the redeployment of its Airbus A380 Superjumbo aircraft to India in a phased manner, starting January 10 next year.
The aircraft will be back into operations after a 20-month break in services owing to the pandemic.
Starting January 10, 2022, the A380 will replace the Airbus A350-900 on the Singapore Airlines flight SQ 424/423 (VTL services) between Mumbai and Singapore, while from February 14, SIA will operate the A380 in place of the Boeing 787-10 on its flight SQ 406/403 (VTL services) between Delhi and Singapore, a release said.
SIA has restarted passenger services from eight Indian cities, including daily Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) services from Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai from November 29, providing eligible customers with quarantine-free entry into Singapore.
Scoot, which is SIA’s low-cost subsidiary, operates non-VTL services from Amritsar, Hyderabad, and Tiruchirappalli.
“The return of the A380 to India is a special occasion for us as this superjumbo aircraft has always been a popular choice for our customers. Ever since we resumed operations from India, we have seen a steadily growing demand for our VTL flights to Singapore.
“We are confident that the A380, with its larger seat capacity, will be the preferred choice for our customers seeking comfortable and safe quarantine-free travel to Singapore from both Mumbai and Delhi,” said Sy Yen Chen, General Manager India, Singapore Airlines.
The Singapore Airlines A380 is configured with 471 seats in four classes: six suites and 78 business class seats on the upper deck and 44 premium economy class and 343 economy class seats on the main deck.
“The A380 will provide more space and privacy in all classes. We look forward to welcoming our customers back onboard the world’s largest passenger aircraft, where they can once again enjoy our world-class product and services, including our most luxurious Suite cabin,” Chen said.
SIA currently operates 48 weekly services from eight cities across India. These include daily VTL services from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai.
The routes that the Singapore Airlines A380 will now operate on are designated quarantine-free services under Singapore Vaccinated Travel Line (VTL) arrangement, the airline said.
Singapore Airlines was the first airline worldwide to fly the A380 superjumbo in October 2007. In late 2017, following an extensive four-year development programme, the Airline launched a multi-million-dollar cabin product upgrade for its A380 aircraft.
The new cabin product made its debut in India on September 1, 2019. —PTI
