SilkAir Celebrates Silver Anniversary

SilkAir Celebrates Silver Anniversary

With 25 years in the air under its wing, SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, will be celebrating its Silver anniversary this year. Marking its anniversary celebrations, the airline will be taking delivery of the first aircraft in its new fleet of 54 Boeing 737s in early February 2014. A total of eight planes are expected this year, with the remaining aircraft to be delivered by the end of this decade. This delivery will enable SilkAir to maintain a young and modern fleet, and cater for the airline's continued network expansion plans by significantly growing its existing fleet. With the new aircraft, several enhancements will be offered to improve the in-flight experience for travellers including upgraded cabin interiors with more spacious overhead luggage compartments and lighting systems.

In addition to the milestone aircraft delivery, SilkAir will roll out a host of surprises and celebrations for their avid Asian traveller target. For starters, to rally consumers and involve them in SilkAir's historic Boeing delivery, the airline will bring fans and aviation lovers together to virtually deliver the new aircraft to Singapore. Tracking the actual delivery route, from the Boeing Renton factory in Seattle to Singapore's Changi Airport via Honolulu, Majuro and Guam, the -Bringing Boeing Home with SilkAir' programme is Asia's first 25-hour flight simulator event that will allow up to 150 selected members of the public to fly a simulator SilkAir Boeing 737-800 plane into Singapore. The event will take place overnight from 7th to 8th February 2014 at Flight Experience Singapore, located at the Singapore Flyer.

SilkAir travellers will also be rewarded through special promotional deals where 250,000 tickets will be made available at special rates for consumers in Singapore and across the region.

Commenting on the anniversary celebrations, SilkAir Chief Executive, Mr. Leslie Thng, said "It is a tremendously exciting time for the airline, and I am honoured and humbled to be part of such a milestone celebration. I would like to pay a special tribute to our 1,500 employees who have been with us on our incredible 25 year journey. Without their unwavering support, dedication and heart, we would not be here today."

He added, "SilkAir's success is also due to the on-going support from our passengers and the public. Helping travellers discover Asia's newest frontiers for the past 25 years, we are always looking at ways to enhance the journey for our customers. Our new Boeing fleet will enable us to put the passenger at the centre of our focus, with the objective to deliver a higher level of quality and experience. Despite aggressive competition, we have maintained a strong foothold in the market as a full service regional carrier and become known for offering access to unique destinations, with genuine and thoughtful service that exemplifies true Asian hospitality. Moving forward, we will continue to improve and adapt, catering to the evolving needs of travellers in Asia. For instance, to appeal to a more well-travelled audience looking for adventure, we will focus on expanding our network to unique destinations especially in key markets such as China, India and Indonesia. We will continue to build on the last 25 years, and soar to new heights of air travel excellence."

Boeing 737-800 Delivery The demand for flight travel in Asia-Pacific continues to rise, presenting vast opportunities for growth. The Boeing 737-800 delivery allows SilkAir to tap into the growing demand and explore the opening of routes across Asia for our travellers. To meet the need for more crew and pilots with the right skills to operate and run the Boeing 737 fleet, SilkAir has invested in conversion training at Singapore's Boeing Flight Services Training Centre to equip existing staff with the skills needed for the transition.

The first aircraft is planned to enter service from 20 February 2014, flying to destinations including Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Phuket and Medan while the arrival of the second plane will allow the addition of other routes for the new aircraft including Siem Reap, Danang, Davao, Cebu and Kochi from 17 March 2014.

Since its inception, the Airline's network has expanded to cover 45 exotic destinations in 12 countries across the region. A full-service carrier that offers services and features that ensure enjoyable and reliable travel experiences, SilkAir has maintained a strong position in the intra-Asian market and is already Asia's most awarded regional airline, with recent titles such as Regional Airline of the Year (Air Transport News 2013 Awards) as well as the TTG Asia Travel Awards Hall of Fame to its name.

About SilkAir
As the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir operates the Singapore Airlines Group's narrowbody fleet and extends the Group network by seeding and developing new, exciting destinations in Asia Pacific.

The airline took to the skies in February 1989 as Tradewinds the Airline, before evolving into SilkAir in 1992. In its early days, the airline catered to passengers holidaying in exotic destinations in the region, including Phuket and Tioman. As the carrier developed, regional business destinations such as Phnom Penh, Yangon and Kuala Lumpur were added.

Today, the full service airline operates more than 300 weekly flights to 45 destinations in 12 countries. Latest additions to the network include Hanoi (June 2012), Visakhapatnam (October 2012), Semarang (July 2012), Makassar (August 2013) and Yogyakarta (November 2012). The airline currently has a fleet of 24 Airbus aircraft, comprising 6 A319s and 18 A320s. In August 2012, the airline announced the largest order in its history of up to 68 Boeing 737 aircraft, with firm orders comprising 23 Boeing 737-800s and 31 Boeing 737 MAX 8s.

For more details on SilkAir, visit silkair.com or http://www.facebook.com/SilkAir