BETTER SEATS, REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY
SIA’s chief executive officer Goh Choon Phong on Tuesday also shared the airline’s plans to improve its offering for passengers.
For instance, there will be better seats across all cabins on the new Boeing 777-9 planes that are expected to be introduced in 2025, he said, adding that this will be an “industry-leading” product when it is launched.
SIA also expanded its network during the pandemic, enabling it to now reach about 80 per cent of its pre-COVID capacity. In comparison, airlines in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole have recovered to just over 50 per cent of their pre-COVID capacity, said Mr Goh.
With SIA subsidiary Scoot’s recent acquisition of the Embraer E190-E2 aircraft that has 112 seats, the budget airline will be able to access “smaller points, particularly in the region”, therefore connecting Singapore and the hub to new places in Southeast Asia.
Reflecting on SIA’s losses during the pandemic’s early days, Mr Goh expressed gratitude for the strong support from shareholders, allowing the company to raise S$15 billion (US$11.1 billion).
He also highlighted SIA’s decision to continue operations to serve its customers and the nation, even though many airlines ceased international operations due to a lack of demand. The airline also continues to honour customer refunds despite the direct impact on its cash reserves.
Adding that SIA’s employees have “taken quite a bit of sacrifice”, not just in terms of a pay cut, he pointed out that travel operations could not have resumed as quickly if not for their readiness.
“Ironically, during that period, many of the ground (staff) were working sometimes even harder. Because we were doing a transformation to really get the organisation ready for the restart, in terms of reviewing the processes, reviewing workflow to ensure that we are even better than before,” he said.
Earlier this month, SIA announced a record annual profit of S$2.16 billion after three straight years of losses. Eligible employees could receive around eight months’ bonus, the airline said.