KUALA LUMPUR – The Airbus A380 – the world’s largest aeroplane – will be servicing the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route next month, the aircraft’s shortest route to date.
Designed for long-haul flying, thanks to its hefty size and quiet inflight experience, Singapore Airlines announced yesterday that it will deploy the superjumbo on the route’s short-haul flights, which last under an hour.
A Singapore Airlines’ spokesman told CNN the A380’s Kuala Lumpur flights are scheduled "for operational requirements”.
He said the A380 will be deployed on an “ad hoc basis” on flight routes SQ106 (SIN-KUL) and SQ105 (KUL-SIN) three times a week from November 4 to December 2.
The A380 will also be flying on Singapore Airlines’ SQ126 (SIN-KUL) and SQ125 (KUL-SIN) routes four times a week from November 5 to December 3.
The airlines recently announced plans to reinstate its grounded A380s on select return flights from Singapore to London from mid-November.
It is believed that the short Kuala Lumpur service is part of crew familiarisation to prepare the aircraft for its return to long-haul service.
Announcing the return of the A380 last week, Singapore Airlines’ global public affairs head Siva Govindasamy told CNN Travel that Singapore Airlines recognises the A380’s enduring appeal for passengers, which is partly why the airline is returning the aircraft to rotation.
“The A380 is a wonderful aircraft,” Govindasamy said. “Some people book the A380 specifically to fly on it.”
Singapore Airlines has 17 A380s in service, each configured to carry 471 passengers.
Malaysia Airlines on the other hand has retired its fleet of six A380s and called for bids to acquire them, following the troubled national carrier’s debt restructuring exercise announced in June.
Many airlines grounded their A380s following the drop in global travel during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as for more cost-effective options such as the Boeing 787.
However, with the expected surge in passengers following the success of global vaccination programmes, these mammoth planes are expected to rule the skies again. – The Vibes, October 20, 2021
