The Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 is back! After quietly pulling several of its mega jumbos out of long-term storage, Singapore Airlines has slipped the A380 back into its schedule. Singapore Airlines has rostered the A380 to fly between Singapore and London Heathrow from October 31.
The Singapore Airlines A380 rostered to fly SQ322 and SQ317
According to the Singapore Airlines website, the A380 will operate SQ322 from Sunday, October 31. SQ322 is the 23:45 departure from Singapore that touches down at Heathrow at 05:55 the following morning. Singapore Airlines presently has a Boeing 777-300ER operating this overnight flight.
After a few hours on Heathrow’s Terminal 2, the A380 will start flying between London and Singapore from Monday, November 1. The A380 will operate SQ317, the 10:55 departure that lands back in Singapore at 07:50 the following day.
Simple Flying has been keeping an eye on the whereabouts of Singapore Airlines’ A380s. Last week, we spied one (9V-SKY) leaving long-term storage at Alice Springs for a flight back to Singapore via Sydney.
Earlier this year, 9V-SKQ left Alice Springs for Singapore. In late July, 9V-SKW also headed back to Singapore. The bulk of the Singapore Airlines A380 fleet is now in Singapore.
Singapore Airlines remains committed to the A380
Singapore Airlines is one of the few A380 operators to stick with the aircraft type. While most operators are keen to remove the jumbo from their fleets, Singapore Airlines has committed to refurbishing its 12 remaining A380s with its latest seats and to keep the planes flying.
Regional competitor Malaysia Airlines has retired its A380 fleet. The future of the A380 at embattled Thai Airways remains highly doubtful. China Southern has confirmed it is keen to exit the A380 from its fleet. Just last month, Korean Air said it would retire the A380 over the next few years.
That will leave Singapore Airlines, ANA, and Qantas the remaining A380 operators in the Asia-Pacific region.
And as A380 aficionados will confirm, the Singapore Airlines A380s are the pick of the remaining bunch. The airline’s premium cabins are unrivaled, and the Singapore Airlines main cabin is one of the best long-haul economy class products in the sky.
The A380 refurbishment program is due to be completed by the end of 2021. That will see all the Singapore Airlines A380 fleet feature six first class suites at the front of the upper deck. Flight attendants can convert two pairs of these suites into a double bed. The remainder of the upper deck is occupied by 82 flatbed business seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
The new Singapore A380 configuration contains 44 premium economy seats in a 2-4-2 configuration on the main deck. Behind the second set of doors, the airline has 343 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration.
Singapore Airlines counting on a relaxation of entry rules
Singapore’s A380 flights to London coincide with the start of the northern 2021/22 winter flying season. While it is good to see the A380 back in the timetable, a lot can happen between now and October 31.
Presently, short-term visitors are not allowed to enter Singapore unless they hold a valid approval entry pass. While Singapore citizens and permanent residents can generally return home, UK citizens eyeing a trip to Singapore right now have a few hoops to jump through before they can board a flight.
Singaporeans flying west are in for a slightly easier time. The United Kingdom currently allows Singaporean citizens and permanent residents to enter, subject to a negative PCR test and a spell in quarantine.
But the rules are dynamic and subject to change. Singapore Airlines will be punting on a further relaxation of the rules between now and October 31. If that doesn’t occur, the A380s may yet get bumped out for the Boeing 777-300ERs
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