SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Group continues to expand its fleet size by adding one Airbus A350-900 and two Boeing 787-10s in the second quarter of 2023.
Singapore Airlines group chief executive officer Goh Choon Phong said the group will continue to take delivery of the B787-10 for SIA as well as the B787-8 and B787-9 for its budget airline Scoot.
Speaking on the delivery of the its much-anticipated B777-9, Goh said the group is looking at delivery in 2025 instead.
"We were expecting the delivery of the B777-9 to be delivered this year (in 2023) but because of the delay, we'll now be looking at (year) 2025 delivery.
""We do have some flexibility in some of the lease aircraft that we have, particularly the B777-300ER and there's flexibility for us to extend the lease if we feel that that is necessary," Goh said at a media roundtable here today.
The B777-9 aircraft were delayed due to issues with its GE9X engine, which is slated to be the largest engine developed for an aircraft.
Singapore Airlines has confirmed orders for 31 B777-9 series aircraft, making it the third largest customer for the American airplane manufacturer after Emirates and Qatar Airways.
It was supposed to receive its first B777-9 in 2021, making it the first airline in Asia Pacific region to operate the long-range widebody aircraft.
The group has a total of 202 operating aircraft with 195 passenger airplanes and seven freighters as of 30 Sept, 2023.
Singapore Airlines itself has 140 passenger aircraft and seven freighters while Scoot fleet size is 55 airplanes.
In terms of network, the group's passenger network covered 119 destinations in 36 countries and territories with Singapore Airlines serving 75 destinations while Scoot serves 67 destinations.
The group said its capacity is expected to reach an average of some 92 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in December 2023.