Singapore Airlines To Restart A380 Flights With Services To London

Singapore Airlines has announced that it is bringing back a number of Airbus A380s ahead of the resumption of a number of international services that are scheduled to commence next month. Earlier this week, the flag carrier announced that it is planning to schedule one of its A380s on designated flights between London and Singapore under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme.

Just last week, the Singapore Government unveiled the Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme for a number of countries, including the United Kingdom. The Vaccinated Travel Lane programme (VTL) will allow vaccinated travellers to enter Singapore without having to quarantine on arrival as part of the country’s border re-opening measures.

Singapore Airlines stated that it will initially utilise the Airbus A380 on short-haul services before eventually being deployed on non-stop services from next month. The A380 will eventually operate the outbound SQ322 service to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) before returning as SQ317 to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), which is also a VTL-designated flight. The travel corridor will officially commence from the 18th of November, however, the VLT scheme for passengers arriving from the U.K. is expected to start next Tuesday.

*Singapore Airlines Airbus A380-800 registered 9V-SKV. Photo by Benjamin Liew | AeroNewsX.*

In a company statement, Singapore Airlines stated, “SIA has seen strong passenger demand for services to and from London towards the year-end holiday season. The A380 has always been a popular choice for our customers, and we look forward to welcoming our customers on board the aircraft once again.”

Over the past year and a half, Singapore Airlines’ fleet of Airbus A380s has largely remained in long-term storage, a decision the carrier took as a result of the pandemic. Following the collapse in passenger demand in March 2020, the airline decide to place eight of its A380s into long-term storage in Alice Springs, Australia. The storage facility’s hot climate location reduces the likelihood of corrosion to the aircraft’s fuselage.

Earlier this year, Singapore Airlines took three A380s out of storage and have since ferried these back to Singapore. As the pandemic progressed, the Singapore Airlines Group (SIA) confirmed late last year that it will retire 7 out of the 19 A380s in its fleet, citing the financial impact brought on by the pandemic.

Singapore Airlines also recently announced that two of its A380s registered 9V-SKG and 9V-SKH will be scrapped. The airline stated that it expects to retain the newer A380s in its fleet and plans to upgrade the aircraft’s cabin post-pandemic.