Singapore Airlines is this week marking 45 years since its first flight landed at Heathrow in June 1971.
Operated by a Boeing 707, the schedule saw the aircraft make stops in Mumbai, Bahrain and Rome on the way to London.
The flight time was 17 hours and 35 minutes – one of the fastest services between the two points at the time – with the first service carrying 127 passengers.
Two crews operated the first flights between Singapore and London, with the changeover taking place in Bahrain.
Four meals were served: dinner between Singapore and Mumbai; supper from Mumbai to Bahrain; breakfast from Bahrain to Rome and refreshments between Rome and London.
For a short period during the late 1970s and early 1980s, SIA and British Airways jointly operated a Concorde between London and Singapore.
The supersonic aircraft was jointly branded, carrying one brand’s livery down each side.
The cockpit crew were from BA, while cabin crew were a mix of BA and SIA staff, with a changeover taking place in Bahrain. This service made SIA one of only four operators of Concorde.
SIA became the first carrier to fly non-stop between London and Singapore in 1984, eventually leading to today’s shortened flight time of 12 hours 40 minutes.
The UK’s first Airbus A380 flight, was operated by the airline to Heathrow in March 2008.
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