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Singapore Airlines (
abbreviation An abbreviation () is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method including shortening (linguistics), shortening, contraction (grammar), contraction, initialism (which includes acronym), or crasis. An abbreviation may be a shortened for ...
: SIA or SQ) is the
flag carrier A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by that government for international operations. Histo ...
of Singapore with its hub located at Changi Airport. Considered to be one of the world's best carriers, the airline is ranked as a 5-star airline as well as ranked as the world's best airline by Skytrax five times. Singapore Airlines operates a variety of
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and
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aircraft, namely the Airbus A350-900,
Airbus A380 The Airbus A380 is a very large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner. Airbus studies started in 1988, and the pr ...
, Boeing 737 MAX 8, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 747-400 Freighter, Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-10. The airline is notable for highlighting the
Singapore Girl Singapore Girl is a consistent visual advertising slogan applied to depictions of flight attendants of Singapore Airlines (SIA) dressed in the distinctive ''sarong kebaya'' SIA uniform, in use since 1972, and remains a prominent element of SIA's ...
as its central figure in the corporate branding segment and not significantly changing its livery throughout its history. Singapore Airlines has been a member of
Star Alliance Star Alliance is an airline alliance headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. Founded on 14 May 1997, it was the world's first global airline alliance. Star Alliance has 25 member airlines that operate a combined fleet of over 5,000 aircraft, servi ...
since April 2000. Singapore Airlines Group has more than 20 subsidiaries, including numerous airline-related subsidiaries. SIA Engineering Company handles maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business across nine countries with a portfolio of 27 joint ventures including with
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
and
Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
. Singapore Airlines Cargo operates SIA's freighter fleet and manages the cargo-hold capacity in SIA's passenger aircraft. Scoot, a wholly owned subsidiary, operates as a low-cost carrier. Singapore Airlines was the first to put the
Airbus A380 The Airbus A380 is a very large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner. Airbus studies started in 1988, and the pr ...
—the world's largest passenger aircraft—as well as the Boeing 787-10 into service, and is the only operator of the ultra-long-range (ULR) version of the Airbus A350-900. It ranks amongst the top 15 carriers worldwide in terms of
revenue In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of product (business), goods and services related to the primary operations of a business. Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some compan ...
passenger kilometres and is ranked tenth in the world for international passengers carried. Singapore Airlines was voted as the Skytrax World's Best Airline Cabin Crew 2019. The airline has also won the second and fourth positions as the World's Best Airlines and World's Cleanest Airlines respectively in 2019. In 2023, the airline for the fifth time took the prize of "Best Airline" as well as the "Best First Class Airline" by Skytrax. On 1 February 2025, Fortune magazine published the annual World’s Most Admired Companies with Singapore Airlines ranked 28th. In the airline category, Singapore Airlines was the world's second most admired airline, behind
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, and ahead of KLM and
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.


History


Corporate affairs

Singapore Airlines is majority-owned by the Singapore government's investment and
holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the Security (finance), securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own Share ...
Temasek Holdings, which holds 55% of voting stock as of 31 March 2020. Nevertheless, while the government holds a golden share via the country's Ministry of Finance, it stressed its non-interference in the management of the company, a point emphasised by
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
when he said the Singapore Changi Airport's front-runner status as an aviation hub is more important than SIA. However, he was personally involved in easing tensions between the company and its pilots in the early 2000s, warned the airline to cut costs, and made public his advice to the airline to divest from its subsidiary companies. Singapore Airlines is headquartered at Airline House, a former hangar at the Changi Airport in Singapore. In November 2022,
Tata Group The Tata Group () is an Indian multinational conglomerate group of companies headquartered in Mumbai. Established in 1868, it is India's largest business conglomerate, with products and services in over 160 countries, and operations in 100 c ...
reached an agreement with Singapore Airlines, in which the joint-venture Indian full-service carrier Vistara merged with Tata-owned Air India to form a single entity with an expanded network and broader fleet. The merger officially took place on 12 November 2024, with Air India as the surviving company. Singapore Airlines now holds a 25.1% stake in the company. In November 2024, Singapore Airlines said it was feeling the impact of the aviation industry’s widespread supply-chain issues, estimating it is likely to have five fewer aircraft than planned by the end of the 2024 fiscal year, with 204 jets in fleet, due to delivery delays.


Business trends

The key trends for Singapore Airlines are (as of the financial year ending 31 March):


Branding

Branding and publicity efforts have revolved primarily around flight crew, in contrast to most other airlines, who tend to emphasise aircraft and services in general. In particular, the promotion of its female flight attendants known as
Singapore Girl Singapore Girl is a consistent visual advertising slogan applied to depictions of flight attendants of Singapore Airlines (SIA) dressed in the distinctive ''sarong kebaya'' SIA uniform, in use since 1972, and remains a prominent element of SIA's ...
s has been widely successful and is a common feature in most of the airline's advertisements and publications. The Singapore Airlines logo is a stylised bird inspired by a keris, a dagger that is a cultural symbol of the region. The keris is central in Singapore Airlines' branding, such as the SilverKris lounge and the KrisWorld entertainment system. The logo has remained unchanged since Singapore Airlines' inception from the split of Malaysia–Singapore Airlines, except for a minor tweak in 1987.


Corporate livery


Original MSA livery (1966–1972)

In May 1966 Malaysian Airways (MAL) became Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA). The original MSA livery features a yellow MSA logo on the vertical stabiliser and a black nose, with a white and grey
fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...
. All aircraft in this original livery have been repainted or retired.


Second-generation livery (1972–1987)

Following the spinoff of
Malaysia Airlines Malaysia Airlines ( Malay: ''Penerbangan Malaysia'') is the flag carrier of Malaysia, headquartered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The airline flies to destinations across Europe, Oceania and Asia from its main hub at Kuala Lumpur Int ...
, Singapore Airlines introduced a second-generation livery features a blue and yellow strip on the windows on the white fuselage, with the stylised bird logo in yellow. The word "Singapore Airlines" was stylised in italics.


Third-generation livery (1987–present)

The current livery has only some minor changes, and the gold-blue color scheme and the bird logo have been retained. In the change to the current livery, the yellow rear fuselage was changed to metallic gold with a new orange line added above it. The same orange line was also added behind the bird logo. The font typeface of the word "Singapore Airlines" was modified. However, in 2005, the livery received a minor update where the "Singapore Airlines" wording was enlarged and shifted closer towards the front of the aircraft, and the bird logo was also enlarged. The blue/gold sections of the tail is cut horizontally. The first set of windows are also no longer left out from the blue/gold/yellow strip. The engine logos were also subsequently removed since October 2007.


Destinations

Singapore Airlines flies on five continents from its primary hub in Singapore. After the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Singapore Airlines discontinued its routes to
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, Darwin,
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Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...
, and
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.
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was discontinued earlier, in 1992, due to a petition from
Air Canada Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada, by size and passengers carried. Air Canada is headquartered in the borough of Saint-Laurent in the city of Montreal. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and cha ...
. During the SARS outbreak in 2003–04, Singapore Airlines ceased flights to
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,
Shenzhen Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...
,
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
, and
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. Singapore Airlines discontinued flights to
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and
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in 2009, and
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in 2016. The airline has a key role in the Kangaroo Route, operating flights between Australia and the United Kingdom via Singapore. It flew 11.0% of all international traffic into and out of Australia in the month ended March 2008. As of summer 2023, it operated more flights to Australia than any other country. Singapore Airlines also operated flights between
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
and
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, New Zealand via
Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
until May 2018, when the intermediate stop was changed to
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. This route was known as the Capital Express. The route was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore Airlines has taken advantage of liberal bilateral aviation agreements between Singapore and Thailand, and with the United Arab Emirates, to offer more onward connections from Bangkok and Dubai, respectively. In 2005
AirAsia Capital A Berhad (), operating as AirAsia (stylised as ''airasia'') is a Malaysian multinational low-cost airline headquartered near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Established in 1993 and commencing operations in 1996, the airline is the largest in M ...
, a low-cost carrier (LCC) based in Malaysia, accused Singapore Airlines of double standards, when it claimed that the
Government of Singapore The government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of Singapore, Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to consist of the President of Singapore, President and the Executive. Executive authority of Singapore is vested in the Presi ...
attempted to keep it out of the Singapore market, despite desiring to fly routes out of Australia itself. In 2007 Singapore Airlines welcomed the liberalisation of the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route, previously restricted to Singapore Airlines and
Malaysia Airlines Malaysia Airlines ( Malay: ''Penerbangan Malaysia'') is the flag carrier of Malaysia, headquartered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The airline flies to destinations across Europe, Oceania and Asia from its main hub at Kuala Lumpur Int ...
under rules designed to protect the state-run airlines from competition for over three decades, accounting for about 85% of the over 200 flight frequencies then operated. A highly lucrative route for LCCs due to its short distance and heavy traffic as the fourth-busiest in Asia, bringing Singapore Airline's capacity share on the route down to about 46.7%, Malaysia Airlines' down to 25.3%, and increase to 17.3% to the three LCCs now permitted on the route, and the remainder shared by three other airlines as of 22 September 2008. Until 1 December 2008, Singapore Airlines operated six flights per day. Singapore Airlines operated four flights per day plans from 1 December 2008 when the route was completely opened, while its sister airline SilkAir also operated four flights per day. Malaysia Airlines, the main opponent to the liberalisation of the route and deemed to be the party that stands to lose the most, continued to codeshare with both Singapore Airlines and SilkAir on the route. Singapore Airlines operated two of the longest flights in the world, both nonstop flights from Singapore to
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and Newark with Airbus A340-500 aircraft. All A340-500s were phased out in 2013 and nonstop flights to both destinations were terminated. Nonstop service to Los Angeles was terminated on 20 October 2013 (the airline continues to serve Los Angeles from Singapore via Tokyo-Narita), and the nonstop service to Newark was terminated on 23 November 2013 in favour of a Singapore-New York JFK route via
Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
. From 23 October 2016, Singapore Airlines resumed non-stop flights from Singapore to the United States, beginning with
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
. The route is flown by the A350-900 aircraft and includes Business, Premium Economy, and Economy classes. This was followed by the resumption of non-stop flights to Newark and Los Angeles from 11 October 2018 and 2 November 2018, respectively, with the delivery of the Airbus A350-900ULRs, allowing the airline to operate two of the world's longest non-stop flights again.


World's longest non-stop scheduled flight routes

On 14 October 2015, Singapore Airlines announced plans to resume the world's longest non-stop flight between Singapore and New York – a 15,300 km (9,500 mi), 19-hour route that the airline had dropped in 2013. A340-500 aircraft were formerly employed to serve this route until their retirement in 2013. SIA resumed the route following the acquisition of new Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft on 18 October 2018. At the time, Singapore Airlines Flights 21 and 22 was the longest scheduled route in the world. It was suspended again in March 2020 due to
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, and resumed in March 2022. On 9 November 2020, SIA relaunched the nonstop flights between Changi Airport and New York, but this time to
John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...
, three times a week. The route, Singapore Airlines Flights 23 and 24, is the longest scheduled flight in the world.


Interline agreements

Singapore Airlines have interline agreements with the following airline partners: * Air Astana


Codeshare agreements

Singapore Airlines have codeshare agreements with the following airline partners: * Aegean Airlines *
Air Canada Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada, by size and passengers carried. Air Canada is headquartered in the borough of Saint-Laurent in the city of Montreal. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and cha ...
*
Air China Air China, officially Air China Limited, ( zh, s=中国国际航空公司, labels=no, ''Zhōngguó guójì hángkōng gōngsī'') is a major Chinese airline and the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China. It is headquartered in Shunyi ...
*
Air France Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...
* Air India *
Air Mauritius Air Mauritius is the flag carrier airline of Mauritius. The airline is headquartered in Port Louis, Mauritius, with its Airline hub, hub at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. History Foundation The company was established on 14 J ...
*
Air New Zealand Air New Zealand Limited () is the flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 28 international destinations in 18 countries, primarily within the Pacific Rim. The airline h ...
* Alaska Airlines *
Asiana Airlines Asiana Airlines Inc. ( ) is a South Korean airline headquartered in Seoul.Home
." Asiana Airlines. Retrieved 13 September 2 ...
* Austrian Airlines * Avianca *
Bangkok Airways Bangkok Airways plc () is a regional airline based in Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Maldives, and Singapore. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport in the Thai cap ...
* Brussels Airlines *
Copa Airlines Compañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A., branded as Copa Airlines, is the flag carrier of Panama. It is headquartered in Panama City, Panama, with its main hub at Tocumen International Airport. Copa is a subsidiary of Copa Holdings and a member o ...
*
Croatia Airlines Croatia Airlines Ltd. is the flag carrier of Croatia. Its headquarters are in the Zagreb neighborhood of Buzin and operates domestic and international services mainly to European destinations. Its main hub is Zagreb International Airport with ...
* Egyptair * Eurowings * Ethiopian Airlines *
EVA Air EVA Airways Corporation ( ; ) () is an international airline headquartered in Taoyuan City. It is one of the two largest airlines in Taiwan along with state-owned China Airlines. The privately owned airline operates passenger and dedicated c ...
* Fiji Airways * Garuda Indonesia * JetBlue * LOT Polish Airlines *
Malaysia Airlines Malaysia Airlines ( Malay: ''Penerbangan Malaysia'') is the flag carrier of Malaysia, headquartered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The airline flies to destinations across Europe, Oceania and Asia from its main hub at Kuala Lumpur Int ...
*
Philippine Airlines Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered at the Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Center in Pasay, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the oldest operating commercial airline in Asia. Philippine ...
* Royal Brunei Airlines * S7 Airlines * Scandinavian Airlines * Scoot (Subsidiary) * Shenzhen Airlines *
South African Airways South African Airways (SAA) is the flag carrier of South Africa. Founded in 1929 as Union Airways it later rebranded to South African Airways in 1934, the airline is headquartered in Airways Park at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannes ...
* SriLankan Airlines * Swiss International Air Lines * TAP Air Portugal * Thai Airways International *
Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Türk Hava Yolları''), or legally Türk Hava Yolları Anonim Ortaklığı, is the flag carrier of Turkey. , it operates scheduled services to 352 destinations (including cargo) in Europe, Asia, Oce ...
*
United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois that operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States and six ...
* Virgin Atlantic * Virgin Australia


Joint ventures

In addition, Singapore Airlines have entered into joint ventures with the following airline partners: *
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. ANA operates services to both domestic and international destinations and is Japan's largest airline, ahead of its main rival flag carrier Japan Airlines. the airline has approximate ...
*
Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), trading as the Lufthansa Group, is a German aviation group. Its major and founding subsidiary airline Lufthansa German Airlines, branded as Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. It ranks List of largest airlin ...


Fleet

Singapore Airlines operates a predominantly widebody fleet, until the second re-introduction of the
Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is an American narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton factory in Washington (state), Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the t ...
in March 2021 following the merger with SilkAir. The airline also operates Boeing 747-400F and Boeing 777F freighters. As of February 2025, there were 163 aircraft registered in the Singapore Airlines fleet, comprising 151 passenger aircraft and 12 freighters.


Services


Cabins

Singapore Airlines offers five classes of service – Suites, first class, business class, premium economy class, and economy class. Major upgrades to its cabin and in-flight service were announced on 17 October 2006, constituting the first major overhaul in over eight years and costing the airline approximately S$570 million. Initially planned for the Airbus A380-800's introduction into service in 2006, and subsequently on the Boeing 777-300ER, the postponement of the first A380-800 delivery meant it had to be introduced with the launch of the first Boeing 777-300ER with the airline on 5 December 2006 between Singapore and Paris. On 9 July 2013, Singapore Airlines, in collaboration with design firms James Park Associates and DesignworksUSA, released new cabin products for the first, business, and economy classes. They debuted on the carrier's new Boeing 777-300ERs delivered from 2013 onwards, with London's Heathrow Airport being their maiden route. The product was later introduced on its Airbus A350s and extended to all its older Boeing 777-300ERs. On 2 November 2017, Singapore Airlines released new cabin products for the Airbus A380-800. These new changes cost roughly S$1.16 billion and were rolled out in response to growing competition from Middle Eastern carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways. The seating configuration in the new design consists of 6 suites and 78 business class seats on the upper deck, with 44 Premium Economy Class seats and 3-4-3 Economy Class seats on the lower deck. The new changes were rolled out on the five new Airbus A380 aircraft that were delivered to Singapore Airlines, while the existing A380 fleet had these new products retrofitted until 2020. Sydney was the first city served with the new product on 18 December 2017.


Business class

The current version of the Business Class was unveiled on 9 July 2013 and is available on refitted Boeing B777-300ERs and the Airbus A350-900. Features include a power socket and ports all in one panel, stowage beside the seat, two new seating positions, arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration and an 18-inch in-flight entertainment screen. The seat has a recline of 132 degrees and can be folded into a length bed. Long haul business class is available on
Airbus A380 The Airbus A380 is a very large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner. Airbus studies started in 1988, and the pr ...
and refitted Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, where a fully flat bed is available in a 1-2-1 configuration featuring of seat width. These seats are forward-facing, in contrast to the herring-bone configuration used by several other airlines offering flat beds in business class. The leather seats feature a diagonal screen-size personal television, in-seat power supply and two
USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...
ports. On eight
Airbus A380 The Airbus A380 is a very large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner. Airbus studies started in 1988, and the pr ...
aircraft, the first of which entered service in October 2011, Singapore Airlines dedicated the entire upper deck to the Business class cabin, unlike the original configuration's upper deck shared by 16 rows of business class and 11 rows of economy at the rear. Medium and short haul business class layouts are available on Airbus A330-300, Boeing 777-300 and all unrefitted
Boeing 777-200 The Boeing 777, commonly referred to as the Triple Seven, is an American long haul, long-range Wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The 777 is the world's largest twinjet and the mo ...
aircraft, configured in 2-2-2 layout and with
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connectivity, only available in the A330. The Business Class seat is lie-flat at an eight-degree incline, featuring Krisworld on a screen. On 28 March 2018, the new regional business class was unveiled following the delivery of the first Boeing 787-10. These new seats manufactured by Stelia Aerospace are arranged in a forward-facing 1-2-1 staggered configuration, providing every passenger direct aisle access. Each seat measures up to in width and can be reclined into a fully flat bed. There are also adjustable dividers at the centre seats to provide passengers with a "customised level of privacy". Unveiled on 2 November 2017, the new A380 business-class seats were being progressively rolled out on the Airbus A380-800 fleet. There are 78 Business class seats on the aircraft, offered in a 1-2-1 configuration behind the Singapore Airlines Suites on the upper deck. The seats, designed by JPA Design and upholstered with Poltrona Frau grain leather, can be reclined into a fully flat bed. There are also adjustable dividers between the centre seats that can either be fully raised, half raised or fully lowered. When the centre divider is fully lowered, the pair of centre seats directly behind each bulkhead can form double beds. There is also an touchscreen LCD TV and a panel containing power and USB port, as well as an NFC reader for contactless payments. In November 2024, Singapore Airlines pledged to invest S$1.1 billion ($828 million) to overhaul the seats in its long-haul aircraft, including all-new first- and business-class product.


Economy class

A new seat with slight changes was announced to be retrofitted on Singapore Airlines's A380 and eventually become available on newer versions of their A350 and 787 aircraft. Features include more legroom and back support, a six-way adjustable headrest, and foldable wings. The Economy Class seat also features a more contemporary fabric seat cover design. The screen size remains the same, yet handsets from the previous iteration of seats have been removed. A redesign of the economy class seat was unveiled on 9 July 2013 alongside new first and business class products. Features include of legroom, slimmer seats, an adjustable headrest, and an touch-screen inflight entertainment system which is also controllable with a video touch-screen handset as well as brand new KrisWorld software. The new seats were originally announced to be available exclusively onboard factory-fresh Airbus A350-900 and refitted Boeing 777-300ER. The previous generation economy class seats on unrefitted Airbus A380-800, and Airbus A330-300 are wide, have in-seat power and have a personal television screen which has a non-intrusive reading light under it, which can be used by folding the screen outwards. These are configured 3-4-3 on the lower deck of the Airbus A380, 3-3-3 on the Boeing 777, and 2-4-2 on the Airbus A330, as well as the upper deck of the Airbus A380. Other features include an independent cup-holder (separate from the fold-out table), a
USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...
port, and a power socket, as well as an
iPod The iPod is a series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices that were designed and marketed by Apple Inc. from 2001 to 2022. The iPod Classic#1st generation, first version was released on November 10, 2001, about mon ...
port exclusively on board the
Airbus A330 The Airbus A330 is a wide-body airliner developed and produced by Airbus. Airbus began developing larger A300 derivatives in the mid–1970s, giving rise to the A330 twinjet as well as the Airbus A340 quadjet, and launched both designs along ...
. Singapore Airlines introduced a similar design on board the Boeing 777 aircraft through its ongoing cabin retrofit program. The Boeing 777–300 was the first model to undergo refit and had introduced the product on the Singapore–Sydney route on 22 July 2009. They are equipped with slightly smaller 9-inch screens (which are, however, larger than the 6.1-inch VGA screens on unrefitted aircraft) and AVOD in each seat. The seats are installed onboard all B777-200ERs and all but one B777-200.


Catering

Singapore Airlines offers a wide array of food options on each flight. Regional dishes are often served on their respective flights, such as the ''Kyo-Kaiseki'', ''Shi Quan Shi Mei'', and ''Shahi Thali'' meals, available for first-class passengers on flights to Japan, China and India, respectively. SIA has also introduced the Popular Local Fare culinary programme offering local favourites to passengers in all classes flying from selected destinations. The dishes featured in this programme include Singaporean "hawker" fare such as ''Teochew porridge'', ''bak chor mee'', ''Hainanese chicken rice'', and ''Satay'' (meat skewers) on certain routes. They published a cookbook in 2010 titled ''Above & Beyond: A Collection of Recipes from the Singapore Airlines Culinary Panel''. Passengers in Suites, First and Business class may choose to use the "Book the Cook" service, where specific dishes may be selected in advance from a more extensive menu. Premium Economy class passengers may also choose to use the "Premium Economy Book the Cook". This service is only available on selected flights.


In-flight entertainment

KrisWorld is Singapore Airlines'
in-flight entertainment In-flight entertainment (IFE) refers to entertainment and other value-added services available to aircraft passengers during a flight. Frequently managed by content service providers, the types of in-flight entertainment and their content vary s ...
system, introduced in 1997 on Boeing 747–400, Airbus A310-300, Airbus A340-300 and Boeing 777–200 aircraft. KrisWorld overhauled Singapore Airlines' in-flight experience with a new, cheaper entertainment solution that would supersede the primitive Thales entertainment systems on offer at that time by Virgin Atlantic and Emirates. The original KrisWorld provided 14 movies, 36 television programmes, and five cartoons, as well as many Super NES games, KrisFone and fax, text news and flight path in all classes. The original KrisWorld was subsequently upgraded to feature Wisemen 3000, an audio and video-on-demand version of the KrisWorld system featured exclusively in First and Raffles Class cabins, then progressively introduced into Economy Class in 747 cabins and selected 777 cabins. In 2002, Singapore Airlines introduced a re-branding of the KrisWorld system. Named Enhanced KrisWorld, it featured additional movies, television programming, music and games, and was installed on Boeing 747-400 and selected
Boeing 777-200 The Boeing 777, commonly referred to as the Triple Seven, is an American long haul, long-range Wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The 777 is the world's largest twinjet and the mo ...
aircraft. Connexion by Boeing, an in-flight Internet service, was introduced in 2005. Live television streaming was proposed on Connexion, but this service was discontinued in December 2006. Since October 2005, Singapore Airlines has offered complimentary language lessons by Berlitz. and, starting December 2005, live text-news feeds. In 2007, a new KrisWorld based on
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is a commercial Linux distribution developed by Red Hat. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is released in server versions for x86-64, Power ISA, ARM64, and IBM Z and a desktop version for x86-64. Fedora Linux and ...
was introduced, featuring a new interface, additional programming and audio and video on demand as standard. Widescreen personal video systems were installed in all cabins, including 23-inch LCD monitors in First Class, 15-inch monitors in Business Class, and 10.6-inch monitors in Economy Class. The new KrisWorld is available on Airbus A330, Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER. Features include: * Widescreen LCD TV with 1280 × 768 resolution * A range of movies, TV, music, games and interactive programs * Built-in office software, based on the StarOffice Productivity Suite for use with the
USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...
port * In-seat AC power ports A $400 million new KrisWorld entertainment system was unveiled in 2012. This comes from a major deal with Panasonic Avionics, which will provide the latest Panasonic eX3 systems. The eX3 system features a larger screen with much higher resolution, wide touch-screen controllers, new software, and, above all, in-flight connectivity. Singapore Airlines launched its in-flight connectivity in August 2012. Passengers are now able to make phone calls, send text messages and access the Internet for a fee. The new eX3 systems are unveiled alongside the new cabin product and are available on the Airbus A350-900 and refitted B777-300ER aircraft. In-flight connectivity is offered on the aforementioned two aircraft as well as select Airbus A380s.


Senior leadership

* Chairman: Peter Seah Lim Huat (since January 2017) * Chief Executive: Goh Choon Phong (since January 2011) * Vice President: David Lau (since November 2023) * Chief Financial Officer: Jo-Ann Tan (since June 2023)


List of former chairmen

* J. Y. Pillay (1972–1996) * Michael Fam (1997–2001) * Koh Boon Hwee (2001–2005) * Stephen Lee Ching Yen (2006–2016)


List of former chief executives

* Lim Chin Beng (1972–1982) * Cheong Choong Kong (1984–2003) * Chew Choon Seng (2003–2010)


Award and recognition

On 24 June 2024, Singapore Airlines was voted 2024 ''Best Airline in the World'' by Skytrax for the second consecutive time, having won the same award in 2023. Apart for winning the best airline, Singapore Airlines also scooped the top awards for ''Best Cabin Staff'' and ''Best First Class in World''. They also won the ''Best Airline in Asia'' in the same award ceremony. On 29 January 2025, SIA was named the top airline, securing the 28th position on Fortune’s list of the world’s most admired companies.


Controversies

In February 2019,
TechCrunch TechCrunch is an American global online newspaper focusing on topics regarding high tech, high-tech and Startup company, startup companies. It was founded in June 2005 by Archimedes Ventures, led by partners Michael Arrington and Keith Teare. I ...
reported that the Singapore Airlines mobile app in the iOS App Store was using session-replay functionality to record users' activities and send the data to Israeli firm Glassbox without the users' informed consent, compromising users' privacy and contravening the rules of the iOS App Store.


Accidents and incidents

Singapore Airlines has experienced the following incidents and accidents: * 13 July 1982 – A Boeing 747 operating as Singapore Airlines flight SQ21A between Singapore and Melbourne flew into volcanic ash from erupting Galunggung volcano and experienced multiple engine failures. A two-engine emergency landing was made at
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
and all four engines were replaced. * 26 March 1991 – Singapore Airlines Flight 117, an
Airbus A310-300 The Airbus A310 is a wide-body aircraft, designed and manufactured by Airbus Industrie GIE, then a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers. Airbus had identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the A300, the first twin-jet wid ...
registered as 9V-STP, was hijacked by militants en route from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport to Singapore Changi International Airport, where it was stormed by the Singapore Special Operations Force. All hijackers were killed in the operation, with no fatalities amongst the passengers and crew. * 21 July 1997 – A Learjet 31, registered as 9V-ATD, and operating a training flight for Singapore Airlines, crashed in southern
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. Both pilots were killed. The crash was caused by the crew descending below the minimum altitude for that region. * 31 October 2000 – Flight 006, a Boeing 747-400 registered as 9V-SPK, attempted to take off on the wrong runway at
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (Traditional Chinese: 臺灣桃園國際機場) is the main international airport serving Taiwan, particularly the northern region and Taipei. Located in Dayuan, Taoyuan, approximately west of Taipei, t ...
(previously Chiang Kai-shek International Airport) while departing for Los Angeles International Airport. It collided with the construction equipment that was parked on a closed runway, killing 83 of the 179 on board and injuring a further 71 people. This was the first fatal accident involving a Singapore Airlines aircraft. The aircraft 9V-SPK was painted in a "Tropical" promotional livery at the time of the accident. The only other aircraft painted with the promotional
livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol, or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery often includes elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...
, another 747-400 registered 9V-SPL, was immediately repainted with standard Singapore Airlines livery. * 12 March 2003 – A Boeing 747-400 operating as Singapore Airlines Flight 286 from Auckland International Airport to Changi Airport was involved in a tailstrike while taking off from Auckland's Runway 23L, causing severe damage to the aircraft's tail and damaging the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit), causing in-flight APU fire warnings. The flight returned to Auckland with no fatalities or serious injuries on board. The cause was later determined to be an error in the pilots' calculations of the aircraft's takeoff weight and reference speeds, which caused the pilots to rotate the aircraft prematurely. * 27 June 2016 – Singapore Airlines Flight 368, a Boeing 777-300ER registered as 9V-SWB with 222 passengers and 19 crew on board, suffered an engine oil leak during a flight from Singapore to Milan. The oil-leak alarm was sounded above Malaysia, two hours into the flight. During the emergency landing at the point of origin, Singapore Changi Airport, the right engine caught fire, leading to the right-wing being engulfed in flames. The fire was extinguished within five minutes after the plane landed. No injuries were reported. The aircraft was substantially damaged and repaired. * 6 May 2022 – Singapore Airlines Flight 439, a Boeing 737-800, sustained a
tailstrike In aviation, a tailstrike or tail strike occurs when the tail or empennage of an aircraft strikes the ground or other stationary object. This can happen with a fixed-wing aircraft with tricycle undercarriage, in both takeoff where the pilot r ...
during takeoff from runway 20 at Tribhuvan International Airport. The resulting incident depressurized the aircraft and forced it to divert to
Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...
, India. There were no injuries among the 165 passengers and 8 crew members on board. The tailstrike occurred during the takeoff at the airport was due to over-rotation by the PF, coupled with a likely tailwind with a component of about 10 knots along the runway. The rotation pitch rate was, at times, greater than 5° per second as recorded by the FDR. The pitch angle of 11.07° recorded also exceeded the 7° – 9° normal pitch angle range. * 28 September 2022 – A drunken passenger on board the Singapore Airlines Flight 33 from San Francisco to Singapore made bomb threats and also inappropriately touched other people. The Republic of Singapore Air Force scrambled their
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...
s to escort the plane to Changi Airport where the airliner was searched and the threat was declared to be false thereafter. * 25 October 2022 – A Boeing 777-300ER registered as 9V-SWH and operating as SQ 319 from
London Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingd ...
to Changi Airport in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
with 280 occupants on board, diverted to Hang Nadim Airport in Batam due to adverse surface wind conditions and poor visibility caused by a thunderstorm over Singapore. As the aircraft approached Batam, the weather conditions had similarly deteriorated due to a thunderstorm over Batam and after three unsuccessful attempts at landing, the aircraft landed with a fuel quantity that was "significantly below" the final reserve fuel requirement of 3,024 kg. There were no injuries on board or any damage to the aircraft. * 21 May 2024 – Singapore Airlines Flight 321, a Boeing 777-300ER registered as 9V-SWM with 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board from
London Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingd ...
to Changi Airport in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, was diverted to Suvarnabhumi Airport in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
after encountering severe turbulence en route over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar. Of the 229 people on board, 1 passenger died. All of the other 228 occupants survived, but 104 passengers and crew members were injured.


See also

* List of airlines of Singapore * Transport in Singapore


Notes


References


External links

* {{Authority control Airlines of Singapore Airlines established in 1947 Temasek Holdings Multinational companies headquartered in Singapore Government-owned airlines Government-owned companies of Singapore Singaporean brands Transport operators of Singapore Association of Asia Pacific Airlines Star Alliance Companies listed on the Singapore Exchange Companies in the Straits Times Index 1947 establishments in Singapore