Singapore Airlines places order for A380s and A350s

Singapore Airlines announced (24-Oct-2012) plans to order five additional A380 aircraft and 20 A350-900s which will be placed on the airline's long-haul and regional services. The order will see the airline's A380 fleet increase from 19 to 24. Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said, "This major order will provide us with additional growth opportunities and is consistent with our longstanding policy of maintaining a young and modern fleet. It demonstrates our commitment to the Singapore hub, and our confidence in the strength of the market for premium full-service travel. The aircraft will enable us to further enhance our network, providing more travel options to our customers. They will also feature the next generation of in-flight cabin products to keep us at the forefront of airline product innovation." The airline selected Rolls-Royce's Trent XWB and Trent 900 engines for the aircraft ordered, including long-term TotalCare service support. Singapore Airlines currently operates Trent 900 engines on its existing A380 fleet while its 19 Airbus A330s are powered by Trent 700 engines. Under the agreement Singapore Airlines will return its five A340-500 aircraft to Airbus by the end of 4Q2013. This will see the cancellation of the airline's nonstop Singapore-Los Angeles and Singapore-New York Newark services. [more - original PR - Singapore Airlines] [more - original PR - Singapore Airlines II] [more - original PR - Rolls-Royce]