Singapore Airlines is the national carrier of Singapore. It is one of the most awarded airlines in the world and one of only five holding a five-star rating by Skytrax. The Star Alliance member owns a young fleet of around 100 Boeing 747s, Boeing 777s and Airbus A340s. It also is the first airline to receive the Airbus A380. From the main hub Singapore Changi Airport, more than 60 destinations in 35 countries of the world are reached.
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The history of Singapore Airlines (SIA) began in 1937, when Malayan Airways Limited (MAL) was founded. The official founding date is May 1, 1947, when the first regular flight took off from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.
Due to technical assistance by other Commonwealth airlines like BOAC and Qantas, Malayan could grow easily and expand rapidly.
On September 16, 1963, Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak were united and formed the new Federation of Malaysia. Simultaneously, the airline was renamed Malaysian Airways Limited.
In 1966, when Singapore split from the Federation, the airline name had to be changed again, creating Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA). In the following year, the first Boeings were introduced, 707s. Along with this came a further expansion of routes and fleet.
In 1972, political disagreements led to a separation of Singapore. MSA also had to be split into two new airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines kept the new headquarters in Singapore as well as all the routes from and to Singapore and MSA’s 707s and 737s.
During the 1970s, the route network spread over the Indian subcontinent and Asia. The 747 joined the fleet.
During the 1980s, Singapore Airlines introduced the A300, the B747-300 Big Top, the B757 and the A310-200. They became the first airline to operate a commercial flight crossing the Pacific in a 747-400 Megatop. With the help of these new types of aircraft, the airline was able to add the USA, Canada and Europe to its list of destinations.
Flights to South Africa were first offered in the 1990s. In the same decade, Singapore Airlines offered the first global sky telephone service and placed huge orders on B747s and B777s as well as on A340s.
In the year 2000, SIA placed a firm order on 19 A380s. They are the first airline to receive the big Airbus. Also in 2000, they joined Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world.
In 2004, the airline commenced non-stop services from Singapore to Los Angeles, California and Newark, New Jersey. The flight to Newark is one of the longest scheduled commercial flights. The A340-500 needs about 18 hours for the 16,600 kilometres and about 20 hours on the way back.
Singapore’s national airline is one of only five airlines in the world to receive the Skytrax five-star rating. It is the world’s most awarded airline, offering the most diversified in-flight entertainment in the world.
Currently, SIA’s fleet consists of only three aircraft types: the Boeing 747, the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A340. The A330 and A380 are on order. In total, around 100 aircraft with an average age of 6.3 years are owned. From the main hub Singapore Changi Airport, more than 60 destinations in 35 countries of the world are reached.
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