Singapore Airlines to lease 15 new planes

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is growing its fleet with 15 new Airbus 330 aircraft that will be delivered between 2013 and 2015.

The new twin-aisle jets will be operated on routes within Asia as well as to points in Australia and the Middle East, SIA said in an announcement on Wednesday.

The new aircraft will be leased for a minimum of six years, with an option to extend the lease term. They will join 19 other A330-300s already in service.

SIA chief executive officer Goh Choon Phong said: ‘The A330s will enable us to add more capacity on regional and medium range routes and further strengthen SIA’s network offering.’

Together with the additional Airbus 380 superjumbos that SIA will take delivery of this year, as well as Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s on order for the years ahead, the lease of the A330s is consistent with SIA’s longstanding policy of operating a young and modern fleet, Mr Goh said.

According to The Straits Times news, the new A330-300s will be configured in a two-class layout with business and economy seats.

The 15 A330s will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. In a separate statement, the British global power systems company said it had won a $1 billion order from SIA to supply as well as maintain the engines for the 15 new aircraft.