News on Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is ordering up to 31 Boeing 777-300's in a fleet expansion effort. SA made a firm order for 18 and carries an option on another 13. Details can be found via MSNBC.com, on this page; for instance:

The twin-engined B777-300ER - which stands for extended range - can seat about 350 passengers, and can cover 7.000 nautical miles. Singapore Airlines said it would use them on its long-haul and medium-haul routes.

Why should you care? According to the article, "Aircraft orders from state-linked Singapore Airlines are highly prized by plane manufacturers as analysts say the company’s purchasing decisions can act as a guideline for other carriers."

This follows yesterday's news on Tiger Airways, calling for a September start. There's an excellent article up at The Business Times by Ven Sreenivasan on Tiger's aggressive ticket pricing strategy, up here.