Singapore Airlines was the launch customer of the Airbus A380. With about 20 A380s in service at one point, it was also the second-largest operator of the type. While currently, its active fleet is much smaller, Singapore Airlines A380 is still one of the easier A380s to fly on. Not only that, but with enough miles or cash, it can be done in one of the most luxurious products in the skies – the Suites which come with a separate chair and bed.
Continue reading to find out what routes Singapore Airlines deploys the A380 on, as well as to learn more about the airline’s Superjumbo fleet.
Singapore Airlines A380 Routes
As one would expect, all Singapore Airlines A380s are based at Singapore Changi airport – that’s where all but one of the airline’s A380 routes operate from. Current Singapore Airlines’ A380 flights include Singapore to:
- Hong Kong (SQ894/SQ895, daily)
- London Heathrow (SQ308/SQ319 and SQ322/SQ317, 2x daily)
- Mumbai (SQ424/SQ423, daily)
- New York JFK via Frankfurt (SQ26/SQ25, daily)
- Shanghai (SQ830/SQ833, Mon until Mar 27, then Mon/Sat)
- Sydney (SQ231/SQ222, daily)
While Singapore Airlines A380s serve a total of seven destinations, only six of those are served non-stop. That gives passengers the option of flying the A380 not only out of Singapore but also on a fifth freedom flight between Frankfurt and New York JFK.
That said, starting on May 15, 2023, Singapore Airlines is expected to operate the unique Singapore – Frankfurt – New York JFK route using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, marking an end (at least for the time being) of the airline’s A380 service to both Frankfurt and New York JFK/United States overall.
On the other hand, Singapore Airlines’ A380 service to Australia will increase later in the year. Starting from May 16, 2023, Singapore Airlines A380 will return to Melbourne (SQ237/SQ228). A day later, a second daily A380 flight will be added to Sydney too (SQ221/SQ232).
It is also worth noting that from March 26, 2023, Singapore Airlines A380 flight to Hong Kong will switch from the current SQ894/SQ895 to SQ892/SQ893. The A380 will continue to operate on the route once daily, though.
Singapore Airlines A380 Fleet
Singapore Airlines was the launch customer for the Airbus A380-800. It operated the world’s first A380 commercial flight on October 25, 2007, after it received the first airframe (9V-SKA). The flight with the perfect flight number for the occasion – SQ380 – took passengers from Singapore Changi to Sydney.
Since then it received another 23 airframes for a total of 24 with the last one, 9V-SKZ, having been delivered in the summer of 2018. While Singapore Airlines retired some A380s before its last batch was delivered, it still operated around 20 A380s at the peak which made it the second largest operator of the type after Emirates.
That said, only 11 Singapore Airlines A380s are currently active. Those include:
- 9V-SKM (MSN 65, delivered in 2011)
- 9V-SKN (MSN 71, delivered in 2011)
- 9V-SKQ (MSN 79, delivered in 2012)
- 9V-SKR (MSN 82, delivered in 2012)
- 9V-SKS (MSN 85, delivered in 2012)
- 9V-SKT (MSN 92, delivered in 2012)
- 9V-SKU (MSN 243, delivered in 2017)
- 9V-SKV (MSN 247, delivered in 2018)
- 9V-SKW (MSN 251, delivered in 2018)
- 9V-SKY (MSN 253, delivered in 2018)
- 9V-SKZ (MSN 255, delivered in 2018)
One more airframe is, according to Mainly Miles, currently being retrofitted with new cabins and should go back into service relatively soon:
- 9V-SKP (MSN 76, delivered in 2012)
Singapore Airlines A380 Seat Configuration
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore Airlines A380s were equipped in a couple of different configurations. All of the currently active aircraft, however, were either delivered with or retrofitted with the airline’s latest product.
Each of Singapore Airlines’ A380s seats a total of 471 passengers across its four classes.
The main deck is equipped with a total of 387 seats including:
- 44 in premium economy class (2-4-2 layout)
- 343 in economy class (3-4-3 layout)
The upper deck is equipped with just 84 seats including:
- 6 in first class (1-1 layout)
- 78 in business class (1-2-1 layout)
Without a doubt, the one thing worth highlighting about Singapore Airlines A380’s seat configuration is its first class Suites. While Singapore Airlines’ original Suites which debuted in 2007 were revolutionary back then as they could be converted into a double bed – a first in airline travel – its latest Suites are incomparably better.
They are actual rooms (albeit without floor-to-ceiling walls) with a swivel chair and a bed. Just like with the original Suites, partitions between neighboring Suites in the latest iteration can be lowered to form a double bed.
Singapore Airlines A380 Retirement Plans
In 2017, after 10 years of use, Singapore Airlines returned its first A380 – and the first A380 that entered into commercial service – to its lessor. With the lessor failing to find the A380 a new home, the aircraft was scrapped in 2019. Since then, six more of the airline’s A380s were scrapped for a total of seven.
Below is a list of scrapped Singapore Airlines A380s – it includes 9V-SKC which briefly entered HiFly Malta’s fleet before meeting the same fate as the others:
- 9V-SKA (MSN 3, delivered in 2007)
- 9V-SKB (MSN 5, delivered in 2008)
- 9V-SKC (MSN 6, delivered in 2008)
- 9V-SKD (MSN 8, delivered in 2008)
- 9V-SKE (MSN 10, delivered in 2008)
- 9V-SKG (MSN 19, delivered in 2009)
- 9V-SKH (MSN 21, delivered in 2009)
Additionally, 5 Singapore Airlines A380s appear to be stored – these are unlikely to go back into service:
- 9V-SKF (MSN 12, delivered in 2008)
- 9V-SKI (MSN 34, delivered in 2009)
- 9V-SKJ (MSN 45, delivered in 2009)
- 9V-SKK (MSN 51, delivered in 2010)
- 9V-SKL (MSN 58, delivered in 2011)
While a dozen Singapore Airlines A380s were scrapped or are stored, the aircraft type is expected to stay in the airline’s fleet for the foreseeable future. After all, Singapore Airlines recently invested heavily into retrofitting a few of its older A380s with new cabins.
Summary
At the peak, Singapore Airlines operated about 20 Airbus A380s. While that is no longer the case – the airline “only” has 12 of the type active or being retrofitted at this point – the A380 in Singapore Airlines livery will be flying around the world for the foreseeable future.
The airline recently retrofitted some of its older A380s with new cabins which feature what is arguably the world’s best first class suite. At this point, some of the routes on which the product can be enjoyed include Singapore to Hong Kong, London, and Sydney.
1 thought on “Singapore Airlines A380s in 2023: Routes, Fleet & Retirement Plans”
Why Singapore airlines don’t give business class seats to United airline employees? Even they have few seats are empty.they take more money to book business class than economy.and will give you not even economy plus seats.Why? I like to fly this airline for there service and food is much better than other airlines which is plus.and there planes are new.