Aviation

Singapore Airlines Selects Airbus For A380 Retrofit Programme

Airbus has been selected by Singapore Airlines (SIA) to provide cabin retrofit services for 14 A380 aircraft currently in service with the carrier. The retrofit programme, which will be undertaken at SIA Engineering Company in Singapore, will see the airline’s recently launched cabin products installed on the aircraft. The new cabin products will debut on five new A380s to be delivered this year and next year.

Under the agreement, Services by Airbus will be responsible for Service Bulletin (SB) and aircraft cabin parts-kit delivery. Its teams will also contribute their A380 design knowledge and engineering expertise to integrate SIA’s customised cabin fittings into the A380’s spacious double-deck interior. The retrofit work is expected to start in late 2018, with all 14 aircraft scheduled for completion by 2020.

Singapore Airlines’ new A380 cabin offers more personal space in all classes. The aircraft will accommodate a total of 471 passengers, with six private Suites and 78 Business Class seats on the upper deck and 44 Premium Economy Class and 343 Economy Class seats on the main deck.

“We are very pleased to have been selected by Singapore Airlines to integrate its new A380 cabin, which will offer its passengers the best and latest on-board products,” said Laurent Martinez, Head of Services by Airbus. “Singapore Airlines’ trust in our retrofit competencies is a positive sign for the development of our services business, in particular in the fast growing Asia-Pacific region.”

Airbus’ Global Market Forecast projects that over the next 20 years the commercial aircraft upgrades services market will be worth US$180 billion, driven in part by high competition between airlines who value the ‘passenger experience’ as a differentiator (comfort, connectivity etc.), as well as systems upgrades. Notably, 38 per cent of this demand will come from the Asia-Pacific region.

Related Topics:airbus Cabin Singapore Airlines

Aviation

Boeing to Slash 17,000 Jobs Worldwide Amid Ongoing Factory Strike

Boeing to Slash 17,000 Jobs Amid Ongoing Factory Strike

Boeing, one of the world’s largest aerospace manufacturers, is facing a severe crisis. The company announced on Friday that it will lay off 17,000 employees—roughly 10% of its workforce.

This decision comes amid a prolonged strike, production delays, and ongoing safety concerns with its aircraft. Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s CEO since August, delivered the news, stating, “Our business is in a difficult position, and it is hard to overstate the challenges we face together.

Beyond navigating our current environment, restoring our company requires tough decisions, and we will have to make structural changes to ensure we can stay competitive and deliver for our customers over the long term.”

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Boeing has been struggling financially, with the last reported profit in 2018. The company’s largest union, with 33,000 members, has been on strike for nearly a month after rejecting a labor deal. The ongoing walkout is reportedly costing Boeing around a billion dollars each month as negotiations remain at a standstill.

Compounding these issues, Boeing’s much-anticipated boeing 777x wide-body plane is now six years behind schedule, with deliveries postponed until 2026. This follows the discovery of structural damage during flight tests. Boeing also announced it will stop manufacturing its commercial 767 freighters after fulfilling its remaining orders by 2027.

Financially, the company expects to report a significant third-quarter loss—nearly $10 per share—and a total cash outflow of $1.3 billion. boeing new aircraft commercial airplane unit faces a $3 billion pretax charge, while its defense business will absorb an additional $2 billion hit.

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The strike has severely impacted production at key boeing facilities, particularly in Seattle, where half of the company’s nearly 150,000 employees work. Since 2019, Boeing has lost approximately $25 billion.

Ortberg was brought in over the summer to help the company regain public trust following safety concerns, especially surrounding the 737 Max line, which was involved in two deadly crashes. Earlier this year, a separate incident involving a panel popping off a 737 Max mid-flight reignited concerns. A Federal Aviation Administration investigation following the event found that Boeing had failed 33 out of 89 product audits.