Event Round Up

The flight of luxury

The scope of in-flight services is now limitless with incessant innovations and Singapore Airlines' latest products and services for the Mumbai and Delhi routes is proof of this. By Sanjeev Bhar

Kim Wah Yap Senior VP (Products & Services), SIA

C. W. Foo GM India, SIA

Cheng Eng Huang Executive VP for marketing and regions, SIA

Aviation has never been so innovative. One of the harbingers in aviation industry, the Singapore Airlines (SIA) has taken steps to take forward its image as innovators in the sky. The ground reality though was that the Indian travellers can now get a taste of luxury. SIA launched a world of products and services for its travellers on New Delhi-Singapore and Mumbai-Singapore routes recently.

Cheng Eng Huang, its executive VP for marketing and regions, says, "India is a very important market for us. We are planning to add more flights from Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai as business travel from the Indian market is holding steady. We care about bringing new in-flight products and services to travellers from Mumbai and Delhi to Singapore and back."

Offering innovative experience

In a dynamic business environment, customers are always looking at services that give them a unique experience. As air travellers, leisure or business, search for comfort and constant innovations are keeping airline companies busy. Says Kim Wah Yap, senior VP (Products & Services) at SIA, "Adding value to the existing service by constant innovation is the key to success. We believe that with our new products we'll be able to offer a new experience to the travellers that none of the international airlines are offering.

We feel that air travelling should be fun with comfort and subsequently hazard-free."

Addressing a group of media from India at a press briefing, Yap presented various products and services that SIA has launched. The aircraft cabin has gone for a total spin for more comfort, which is now available for the Delhi and Mumbai travellers on the B777-300ER aircraft from and to Singapore. The new aircraft that commenced operations from first week of June 2008 and July 2008 from New Delhi and Mumbai respectively, has eight first class seats, 42 business class seats and 228 economy class seats.

The fact that the entire look has been upgraded meant that the airline company is looking at increasing traffic with the average load factor touching 70-80 per cent.

Explaining its new features, Yap said, "The fully flat bed cum seats in First and Business Class are examples of innovative approach and gives a lot of room for the travellers. The seats have been designed in 1-2-1 configuration; it allows all travellers to access their seats directly without disturbing fellow passengers." The business class seats measure 30 inches, which is claimed to be the world's widest business class product while that of first class measures 35 inches with furnishing and amenities designed by French fashion house Givenchy.

The convenience offered to passengers has been a result of well thought-out process. As the reporter travelled, he experienced the table used for dining has been conveniently concealed, which allows comfortable adjustments during dining at the seat allowing the legs to be fully stretched (as it would be in a sleeping position). "We provide 180° inclined flat bed for perfect sleep if you negate the slight aberration of 3° due to the flight inclination," Yap chuckled. The economy class of B777-300ER has also been upgraded by the introduction of new seats providing personal space and leg room.

Yap also talked through the new initiatives taken for the much talked about A380 aircraft that offers 399 economy seats with 12 suites. "We have in all ordered 19 A380s and are already operating five. The fact that SIA is concerned about the environment has gone ahead and ordered so many aircraft as A380 is the greenest and cleanest aircraft so far. The suites of the aircraft have been designed by a French company and will become the face of luxury," he said. SIA went through four years of extensive R&D with an investment of US$ 360 million to bring the new cabin products to fore.

Kim Wah Yap, Senior VP Products and Services, SIA giving a presentation of various new products and services introduced by SIA at various routes in its Training Centre in Singapore.

Press briefing by the SIA officials. From left to right: C. W. Foo, GM India - SIA, Cheng Eng Huang, Executive VP Marketing & Regions and Kim Wah Yap, Senior VP Products and Services, SIA

Press gathering at the Singapore Airlines Training Centre (STC)

Han Tian Phua, Divisional VP Product Innovation, SIA explaining about the aircrafts new design

Han Tian Phua talking about A380's suite features

A trainer demonstrating the various aspects of Airbus 380 First Class suite

Inflight entertainment

Understanding that flight entertainment is another key area, SIA upgraded its in-flight entertainment system (IFE) - KrisWorld. Powered by the latest eX2 IFE from Panasonic Avionics, it offers more than 1,000 on-demand options. SIA has also given importance to Hindi-speaking audience with Bollywood movies.

Keeping in mind the business travellers, computer application has been introduced whereby a suite of office productivity options allow customers to perform tasks e.g. spreadsheet, presentation and word processing on the system. "Based on Sun Microsystem's StarOffice platform, the Linux based programme allows people to get the data on to the flash drives through the USB port provided with," explained Yap.

SIA Training Centre

Offering the finest service means a lot of research and training. The SIA officials gave an insight on the way extensive flight training of 15 weeks is carried out at the SIA Training Centre in Singapore for those who join the airline company for in-flight customer service.

Talking about the centre's role, Huang elaborated on the measures taken by SIA to conduct refresher courses once in a year for the aircraft officials to update them about latest in the business with all products and services introduced. "There is an emphasis on speech, language, knowledge and operations which also includes special mock training for the cabin crew," he informed.

While the need to connect with customers has always dictated the airline companies, SIA also adhered to the need by recruiting multilingual staff. The company has a Thinking Group that understands the various areas of customer service. "Our emphasis is to serve customers with the best. In our endeavour to reach Indian travellers we recruit Indian crew as well. In the last nine years, we have recruited more than 100 people and the demand is expected to increase signifying our growth prospect and relationship with India," summed Yap.