10 August 2009

QANTAS faces renewed competition on the kangaroo route after Singapore Airlines announced yesterday it would fly daily Airbus A380 superjumbo services to Melbourne.

The decision to make the Victorian capital its sixth A380 destination increases the Singaporean carrier's seat capacity into Melbourne by 10 per cent. It also makes Australia the first SIA market to boast dual superjumbo ports. The A380 has proved popular with passengers, who in many cases will book a flight on it in preference to other aircraft.

Qantas also flies the A380 into Melbourne, but only twice a week, and to Los Angeles, where it is fighting a bloody price war. That battle intensified this week with United Airlines announcing return Sydney-New York economy fares as low as $939.

Qantas said yesterday it was sticking to its original schedule of daily A380 services to Melbourne after its sixth plane was delivered.

Singapore says its new Melbourne service will offer good connections for people wanting to fly the superjumbo to London and Paris.

It flies the A380 in a 471-seat, three class configuration featuring the widest business class seats in the air, first-class suites and redesigned economy seats.

The new service, due to start on September 29, will replace daily Boeing 747-400 flights between Melbourne and Singapore.

The airline, which flies 21 weekly services between Melbourne and Singapore, has nine A380s in service, with firm orders for 10 more.