Extra Aircraft from SQ

Latest rumour on a.net that many of you have undoubtedly seen is with regards to SQ buying a fleet of 777-200LR a/c to operate SIN-EWR and SIN-LAX plus other new routes. Obviusly this would mean replacing there almost brand new 5 345's! I would imagine this will take place as SQ begin to move to a one type fleet! Latest thinking on this though is that SQ will hand the 345's over to VS. Being said that VS would willing take them allowing new perhaps not so ultra long haul routes to open- like those on SRB's wishlist! WOuld of course provide a nice replacement for the 343's and compliment the 346's down to a tee. I personally will believe it when i see it and i think that EK will snap these a/c up before you can say bobs ur uncle! Wot do you all think- possiblity or not?

IMO, I do not honsetly think the rumour is true, why would SQ want to replace the aircraft they just recently brouht in to service?

I'm sure SQ are happy with the performance of the A345 it's a beautiful aircraft.

It is a beautiful aircraft but if you look at the performance of the 772lr you will realise that if you were in charge of SQ that you too would be interested in the a/c.

The 772lr will be able to seat 300 pax compared to the current 180 on the 345. The 772lr will be able to hold more cargo. I would imagine that SQ would seat the a/c with about 240 seats and wld be able to put in a 1st class which they currently dont have on the 345. The flights to EWR and LAX are well overbooked as it is and SQ want more capacity but airbus cant give it to them. The 772lr will have common fleet type with the 772 meaning that pilots will be able to fly both types saving on money training pilots to the 345. It will save them money with regards maintenance. It is also very well known that SQ are moving towards a one type fleet.

The reason why SQ didnt orginally order the 772lr was because it didnt exisit even on paper at the time they ordered the 345- Boeing had no alternative. They then did manage to put something on paper but its performance was well below par compared to the 345. It wasnt until the 773er went into testing that they relaised what potential a lr version could have. So now Boeing have something to offer that is better than the 345 and this is why SQ are looking at it very seriously.

Of course this a/c change isnt happening tomorrow it will be over the next 18months at least. So taking all that into acount it is very possible the 345's will come on the market. So back to my orginal question- do you all think that VS would be interested. Personally i think they wont.

Odyseey have a look at: http://www.atwonline.com/indexfull.cfm?newsid=4749

Hi Will

VS may need extra capacity in the future (ie more than the 346s that are currently on order) but I can't really see a need for the A345. The 346/744 can operate all our current routes at or near max payload and I don't think the economics would be very attractive compared to the 343 (higher lease charges etc). Like you say, I imagine that if SQ do get rid of them then EK or someone would snap them up.

Cheers
Alan

I could only personally see LHR-PER being a possible A345 route for VS, connecting with thier DJ services in Oz.

I personally feel that this would be a very good road to go down. I have wondered for a while whether some of the 26 A346 order may be converted to A345's to accomodate future routes on the "wish list".

However will SQ being "unhappy" with the performance are they likely to offload them onto a company which they own 49% of??

quote:Originally posted by 748748
The A345s have an excellent AVOD system. I am sure the V:PORT software could be uploaded to that too.

Wiseman and V:Port are based on the same underlying IFE platform as I recall - the MAS System 3000 http://www.mascorp.com/pro_3000.aspx.

It should therefore be relatively trivial to change the look and feel of the system.

Of course, VS may/will want to rip out the Spacebeds and install UCS should they decide to take the A345s on.

Cheers,
Mike

Folks aren't we jumping the gun a bit here?
"However will SQ being "unhappy" with the performance are they likely to offload them onto a company which they own 49% of??"
This is just a RUMOUR on A.net!! We all know how reliable that is don't we? Some of the A.Net posters are saying that the A345s are exceeding the Airbus performance figures and SQ's expectations.. Also passenger numbers are running very high.
With regard to the alleged extra capacity of the 777 of 301 seats, etc. what would this be in SQ's "Premium Economy" config? If they buy the new 777 variant and install the old-fashioned Y cattle class seats, how many passengers will they get for an 18 hour plus flight? Also many of the A.Netters missing the point about a "Premium" fare being charged in Enhanced Economy, which presumably makes it very profitable.
IF they do get the new 777s it will be a year or more away, by which time VS's new A346s should be arriving.

Hold on i think a number of people are missing my point here.

I orginally said that I recokoned the a/c woould end up with EK or at a very long shot AC. VS have been mentioned due to the 49% ownership and also b/c we currently operate the 343 and 346. It was thought that the 345 will complement the 346 very nicely- i personally beleive it wld be and could be used on services like those on the wish list until they get enough to justify a 744 or 346 or 380.

SQ are NOT unhappy with the 345 far from it. It is just that 772lr will be better in the long term for them. It will be able to seat, colourphil around 230-250 pax in total and will enclude the enhanced Y class that we currently see on the 345, as i orignally stated. It wont seat 301. As i also orignally said SQ wont get this a/c for at least another 18 months. SQ are finding there ULH routes so popular that they really want extra capcity and it is for this reason that i believe they will order the a/c and get rid of the 345's. After all its been widely documented (see website link below) that 777 pilots have been told that the a/c will be ordered.
After all as i said earlier (again!) the economics for getting the 772lr far out weigh the 345 in every department.

Website link included on my previous post.

quote:Originally posted by willd
SQ are NOT unhappy with the 345 far from it. It is just that 772lr will be better in the long term for them. It will be able to seat, colourphil around 230-250 pax in total and will enclude the enhanced Y class that we currently see on the 345, as i orignally stated.

While SQ is extremely happy with the load on the current EWR-SIN woute, SQ is unhappy with the fact that with severe weight restrictions on the A345, they are unable to have their splendid F class product on the EWR-SIN route. This is a big loss for them. The SQ F product isn't available on a direct route which many firms in NYC would gladly pay top dollar for (see CX's rarely-discounted $14,000 ticket price on the JFK-HKG direct route). I was told by a crewmember when on the EWR-SIN route that SQ was upset it couldn't offer its F service. That combined with the 777's larger capacity will be a boom for SQ.

Yes flyaway i agree i had orinally put that in the first post that they would be able to offer a first class which they desperatley wanted to.

In response to colourphils point about normal Y class seats (which Sq wouldnt put into the 772lr), CX are currently flying a 346 non stop- 16 hours JFK-HKG with a regular Y class and there have been no complaints so far!! Looks as if some pax are willing to seat for that long.