Asia Pacific Innovation of The Year: Singapore Airlines
This award recognises the airline, airport or supplier responsible for the most powerful innovation in the industry over the past year. The innovation could be customer-facing, B2B, efficiency-related or a new marketing product – and must be a new standout and established the company as a market leader in the product or process.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) was selected for its ULR product. Singapore Airlines has invested heavily in ensuring the success of its resumed nonstop flights to the US. SIA worked very closely with Airbus to ensure its A350-900ULRs would be available and fit for purpose to offer travellers the best possible service available. SIA was the first airline in the world to operate the A350-900ULR, configured in a two-class layout, with 67 Business Class seats and 94 Premium Economy Class seats.
The innovative strategy involved an entirely new service and product including new meals from Canyon Ranch specially created for ultra-long haul nonstop US flights. Wellness formed an important part of the strategy with SIA partnering with Canyon Ranch, the world’s premiere integrative wellness brand, designed to re-invent ultra-long-haul travel with a focus on wellness cuisines, rest and relaxation, and general well-being on the world’s longest flights.
“Wellness continues to be an important factor of any corporate travel programme”, said CAPA Chairman Emeritus Peter Harbison. “Singapore Airlines pushed the development of the A350-900ULR with a vision of expanding its premium long haul offering. This clearly will assist airlines around the world as they themselves push their long haul strategies. Combatting the impacts of these gruelling services by partnering with a leading wellness brand only emphasises the innovative strategy of the airline.”
Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said: “We are honoured to receive the Innovation of the Year award from CAPA. Innovation is at the heart of everything that we do at Singapore Airlines, whether it is our cutting-edge in-flight products and services, or the digital transformation programme that is changing almost every aspect of our business. Our record-breaking non-stop services to the US exemplify our efforts to push the limits and bring even greater convenience and comfort to our customers.”
Subsequent to the Asia Pacific awards, the CAPA Global Awards for Excellence will be announced as part of the CAPA World Aviation Outlook Summit in Malta on 5-Dec-2019. For more information on the CAPA Awards for Excellence, visit centreforaviation.com/about/capa-awards