SQ is looking at more nonstop transpacific flights such as SIN/ORD. The reason is that it is difficult for SQ to get 5th freedom traffic on some segments (the article in Airliner World didn't mention which ones). SQ has 5 A340-500 on order - 3 to be delivered this month and 2 in June/July 2004. They also have 5 on option David R > In a message dated 12/10/2003 1:05:22 PM Pacific Standard Time, > mmontano@xxxxxxxxx writes: > > << Just a hunch, but isn't SQ going to take delivery of more than one 345? > > Wouldn't they rotate their 345s through the SIN/LAX routing? Much like > BA has with their 747-400s out of Heathrow? > > Anyone know what SQ's current 744 utilization is? Most US airlines run > their narrow body fleet at 8-10 hours a day, but I recall that BA was > running their 744s at 12+ hours (average). >> > > They will have to rotate their 345s. They will have to dedicate 2 to each > route to keep them daily, then they will get 1 more as a spare. I would guess > that their 744 utilization is at least 12 hours, given that they do routes like > SIN-NRT-LAX. Given that they will average abour 18 hours per flight with the > 345s and 3 and 1/2 days per week, that is 63 hours per week or 9 hours per > day.