Singapore Airlines will fly the Airbus A380 between Heathrow and Singapore from March following delivery of the second and third aircraft off the production line.
The first A380 began flying daily between Singapore and Sydney last month, with the inaugural flight raising £700,000 for charity.
The carrier will decide on the date of the UK launch next month. UK and Ireland general manager Marvin Tan said the A380 is so quiet: “If you are not by a window you could hardly tell you are off the ground.”
The airline has a mock-up of one of the aircraft’s 12 first-class suites, with double bed, at WTM and says its business-class seat will be four inches wider than the largest currently on the market. But Tan said the economy class would also surprise people. “It is not just rows of 300 seats,” he said.
“We have broken up the cabin and some economy seats are upstairs in the aircraft’s double deck.”
The aircraft will seat 471, although the A380’s usual capacity will be 525-550 and an all-economy cabin could seat 800.Singapore’s business and first-class passengers will pay a premium of 20%-25% for flying the A380, although there will be no additional charge for economy.
Clients who have already booked and find themselves assigned to an A380 will face a surcharge if their tickets have not been issued.The airline will promote the aircraft’s association with Britain in its UK marketing with the wings made in Broughton and Filton, the engines by Rolls-Royce and the business seats designed in the UK.
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