After 18 months behind schedule, Singapore Airlines finally takes its first delivery of Airbus 380 at the Toulouse Henri Ziegler Delivery Centre on Oct.15 in a ceremony attended by 500 distinguished guests including Chief Executive Officers Tom Enders (Airbus), Sir John Rose (Rolls-Royce) and Chew Choon Seng (Singapore Airlines CEO).
The Singapore Airlines A380 is configured with 471 seats in three classes: Economy, Business and the new Singapore Airlines Suites: a class beyond first.
The aircraft will enter commercial service on Thursday 25 October 2007, with a special return flight between Singapore and Sydney. The majority of seats on this flight were already sold at auction on eBay, and all of the proceeds ($1.25 million) from the auction are being split among charities in Singapore, Sydney and a global humanitarian organisation.
A standard return fare for a suite, created by French luxury yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste, will cost around 10,500 Singapore dollars ($7,160) on the inaugural Singapore-Sydney route.
Link to Chinadaily, Link to Singapore Airlines' Airbus 380 Configuration, Link to Singapore Airlines Air 380 Beyond-first-class Suites