SINGAPORE Airlines has increased the capacity of its Manila-Singapore flights by introducing a new aircraft, the modernized Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, with a ranking official painting a rosy outlook for the Philippine market.
Balagopal Kundavara, the general manager of Singapore Airlines, said his group decided to deploy its newly acquired plane to its Singapore-Manila route, as demand for full-service and business-class products continue to increase.
Utilizing the new 337-seat aircraft adds about 50 more seats per flight to its current capacity.
Kundavara said the company aims to fill in as much as 9 out of 10 seats for its flights to and from Manila.
“We plan to fill the flights as much as possible. We have a capacity of about 1,000 seats to 1,200 seats per day, and we aim to reach 80-percent to 90-percent load factor for the flights without compromising too much on the yield,” he said.
Kundavara said his group decided to upguage its flight to Manila because it cannot add more flights to the Philippine capital due to slot constraints in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).
“Today, we fly to Manila four times a day, and we would like to increase the number of our flights, but because of the airport slots, we have little chance to increase it,” he lamented.
Nonetheless, he painted a rosy outlook for the Philippines for the rest of the year.
“This market continues to grow and has a lot of opportunities. We would love to do more flights if we could. It’s a market that is price-and-yield sensitive. The challenge is to remain competitive in that market,” Kundavara said.
Singapore Airlines customized its Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners to be equipped with the latest features for an airliner.
Business Class customers can rest in more comfort with a seat that reclines directly into a 76” fully flat bed.
The new seats also provide more personal space with its retractable armrests that can be raised and lowered, while adjustable dividers at the center seats provide for a customized level of privacy to suit individual preferences.
Economy-class customers can enjoy travelling in comfort on seats with an ergonomically designed contour backrest, together with a six-way adjustable headrest and foldable wings to provide more neck support.
All customers on the new B787-10s will also have greater control over their in-flight entertainment experience through myKrisWorld, allowing for world-class IFE personalization.
Features of myKrisWorld include content recommendations based on customer preferences and viewing history, and KrisFlyer members being able to bookmark and resume content, as well as customize and save preferences for subsequent flights.
The new B787-10s are also equipped with in-flight Wi-Fi supported by Panasonic’s Global Communication Services and GSM phone services provided by Panasonic’s wholly owned subsidiary Aeromobile.
Customers travelling in Business Class can also enjoy personalised service and pick from a wide array of gourmet choices with “Book the Cook,” where they can pre-select their meal up to 24 hours before their flight, for flights from Singapore.
So far, Singapore Airlines has received six B787-10s. Aside from Manila, these aircraft will be used for Osaka, Perth, and Bali.
