SilkAir
Encyclopedia
SilkAir Private Limited (Chinese: 勝安航空 Shèngān Hángkōng) is an airline
based in Singapore
. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines
and operates scheduled passenger services from Singapore to 31 cities in Southeast Asia
, South Asia
and China
. It has its head office on the fifth storey of SIA Superhub 1. As the regional wing
of Singapore Airlines, it serves 31 out of 50 short-haul destinations in the Singapore Airlines Group network, and flew 1.56 million passengers in 2006. It made a profit of S$30 million, as turnover rose 20.4% to $415 million.
As of 31 March 2010, SilkAir employs 278 staff.
, Pattaya
, Phuket
, Hat Yai
and Kuantan
from Singapore's Changi Airport
and Tioman from Singapore's Seletar Airport
. As the carrier matured, regional business destinations such as Jakarta
, Phnom Penh
and Yangon
were added to its network, thereby broadening the airline's appeal beyond the holiday-maker to include the business traveller.
A major marketing overhaul was started in 1991, culminating on 1 April 1992, by giving the airline its present name and logo as a new corporate identity. The re-branded airline utilised up to six of the new Boeing 737-300s introduced just a year earlier. The mid-1990s saw two Airbus A310-200
aircraft in use and the expansion of services to India
as well as mainland China. It was the first Asian carrier to offer handheld portable video-on-demand (VOD) in-flight entertainment
in the form of the DigEplayer 5500, available on flights to selected countries.
, the first of which began operations in 1991. It operated two Airbus A310-200s
for a brief period from 1993 to 1995 before they were transferred to Singapore Airlines, and two Fokker F70 from 1995 to 2000. It began replacing its Boeing fleet with Airbus aircraft when the first Airbus A320-200
arrived in 1998, and retired all Boeing aircraft a year later. On 20 December 2006, SilkAir signed an agreement to purchase 11 Airbus A320-200
aircraft with nine more on option. These aircraft will be delivered between 2009-2012.
The SilkAir fleet consists of the following aircraft (as on October 2011):
cabins are available on all SilkAir flights. The business-class cabins offer a seat pitch of between 39 to 40 inches and legroom of 19.3 inches.
Business class passengers now get to enjoy leather seats which are all Airbus A320s.
cabins on SilkAir have a seat pitch of 31 inches and legroom of 12 inches.
It now features a new autumn colour scheme.
, laksa
, mee siam
and mee rebus
are available on selected flights.
region. The company was incorporated in 1975, and became a fully licensed tour operator in 1984.
SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, was once known as Tradewinds Charters at its founding in 1976, before earning its present name in 1991. The chartered operations were hence continued to be handled by Tradewinds Tours and Travel.
at each year's respective World Airlines Awards. In October 2011, SilkAir was awarded the Regional Airline of the Year by the Centre for Aviation (CAPA), an aviation research body.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
and operates scheduled passenger services from Singapore to 31 cities in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It has its head office on the fifth storey of SIA Superhub 1. As the regional wing
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
of Singapore Airlines, it serves 31 out of 50 short-haul destinations in the Singapore Airlines Group network, and flew 1.56 million passengers in 2006. It made a profit of S$30 million, as turnover rose 20.4% to $415 million.
As of 31 March 2010, SilkAir employs 278 staff.
History
The airline had its roots as a regional air-charter company in the form of Tradewinds Charters, formed in 1976, and using planes predominantly leased from parent company Singapore Airlines serving leisure destinations. Scheduled services were introduced as Tradewinds Airlines on 21 February 1989, when it leased McDonnell Douglas MD-87 airplanes for services to six destinations, namely Bandar Seri BegawanBrunei International Airport
Brunei International Airport is the primary airport in the nation of Brunei. The Royal Brunei Air Force is also based at the Rimba Air Base which is located in the Brunei International Airport...
, Pattaya
U-Tapao International Airport
-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...
, Phuket
Phuket International Airport
Phuket International Airport is an airport serving the Phuket Province of Thailand. It is located in the north of Phuket Island, 32 kilometres from the centre of Phuket City. The airport plays a major role in Thailand's tourism industry, as Phuket Island is a popular resort destination...
, Hat Yai
Hat Yai International Airport
Hat Yai International Airport is the major southern hub airport in Thailand, located near the city of Hat Yai. It is under the management of Airports of Thailand, PCL. It is also an important airport for Muslims on the pilgrimage to Mecca. Annually, more than 800,000 passengers, 9,500 flights...
and Kuantan
Kuantan
Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu...
from Singapore's Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport , Changi International Airport, or simply Changi Airport, is the main airport in Singapore. A major aviation hub in Southeast Asia, it is about north-east from the commercial centre in Changi, on a site....
and Tioman from Singapore's Seletar Airport
Seletar Airport
"RAF Seletar" & "Seletar Airbase/Airfield" redirects here.Seletar Airport is a civilian airport located at Seletar, in the northeastern region of Singapore, and is managed by the Changi Airport Group...
. As the carrier matured, regional business destinations such as Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
and Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
were added to its network, thereby broadening the airline's appeal beyond the holiday-maker to include the business traveller.
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
aircraft in use and the expansion of services to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as well as mainland China. It was the first Asian carrier to offer handheld portable video-on-demand (VOD) in-flight entertainment
In-flight Entertainment
In-flight entertainment refers to the entertainment available to aircraft passengers during a flight. In 1936, the airship Hindenburg offered passengers a piano, lounge, dining room, smoking room, and bar during the 2½ day flight between Europe and America...
in the form of the DigEplayer 5500, available on flights to selected countries.
Codeshare agreements
SilkAir has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:- Garuda IndonesiaGaruda IndonesiaPT Garuda Indonesia Tbk , publicly known as Garuda Indonesia, is the flag carrier of Indonesia. It is named after the mystical giant bird Garuda of Hinduism and Buddhist mythology. It is headquartered at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, near Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia...
- Malaysia AirlinesMalaysia AirlinesMalaysian Airline System Berhad , DBA Malaysia Airlines , is the government-owned flag carrier of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz...
- Singapore AirlinesSingapore AirlinesSingapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
(parent company) - Bangkok AirwaysBangkok AirwaysBangkok Airways Co., Ltd. is a regional airline based in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos, Maldives, Burma, India and Singapore...
Fleet
SilkAir began operations with 2 leased McDonnell Douglas MD-87 aircraft in 1989, before investing in its own fleet of six Boeing 737-300sBoeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
, the first of which began operations in 1991. It operated two Airbus A310-200s
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
for a brief period from 1993 to 1995 before they were transferred to Singapore Airlines, and two Fokker F70 from 1995 to 2000. It began replacing its Boeing fleet with Airbus aircraft when the first Airbus A320-200
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
arrived in 1998, and retired all Boeing aircraft a year later. On 20 December 2006, SilkAir signed an agreement to purchase 11 Airbus A320-200
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft with nine more on option. These aircraft will be delivered between 2009-2012.
The SilkAir fleet consists of the following aircraft (as on October 2011):
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Options | Passengers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A319-100 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
1 | — | — | 12 | 106 | 118 |
| 2 | 8 | 112 | 120 | |||
| 3 | 8 | 120 | 128 | |||
| Airbus A320-200 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
5 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 126 | 142 |
| 1 | 12 | 132 | 144 | |||
| 7 | 12 | 138 | 150 | |||
| Total | 19 | 5 | 4 | |||
Cabins
There are only two classes of cabins available on all SilkAir flights — business class and economy class.Business Class
Business classBusiness class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
cabins are available on all SilkAir flights. The business-class cabins offer a seat pitch of between 39 to 40 inches and legroom of 19.3 inches.
Business class passengers now get to enjoy leather seats which are all Airbus A320s.
Economy Class
All economy classEconomy class
__FORCETOC__Economy class, also called coach class , steerage, or standard class, is the lowest class of seating in air travel, rail travel, and sometimes ferry or maritime travel....
cabins on SilkAir have a seat pitch of 31 inches and legroom of 12 inches.
It now features a new autumn colour scheme.
Dining
SilkAir offers Oriental and Western menus which emphasise on flavours of the region. Local delights such as Hainanese chicken riceHainanese chicken rice
Hainanese chicken rice is a dish of Chinese origin most commonly associated with Hainanese and Singaporean cuisine, although it is also commonly sold in neighbouring Thailand and Malaysia...
, laksa
Laksa
Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture, which is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements found in Malaysia and Singapore, and to a lesser extent Indonesia.- Origin :The origin of the name "laksa" is unclear...
, mee siam
Mee siam
Mee Siam , which means "Siamese noodle", is a dish of thin rice noodles in spicy, sweet and sour light gravy. It is one of the popular one-dish meals in Singapore and Malaysia...
and mee rebus
Mee rebus
Mee rebus or Mie rebus , is a noodle dish popular in Indonesia , Malaysia, and Singapore.The dish is made of yellow egg noodles, which are also used in Hokkien mee, with a spicy slightly sweet curry-like gravy...
are available on selected flights.
Entertainment
SilkAir offers a selection of short story books and magazine titles on board and screens a series of short features on their inflight screens. SilkAir inflight magazine, Silkwinds is complimentary for all passengers. It is published once every two months.Tradewinds Tours and Travel
Tradewinds Tours and Travel Private Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of SilkAir, providing package tours to destinations flown by the airline, as well as chartered flights within the AsiaAsia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
region. The company was incorporated in 1975, and became a fully licensed tour operator in 1984.
SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, was once known as Tradewinds Charters at its founding in 1976, before earning its present name in 1991. The chartered operations were hence continued to be handled by Tradewinds Tours and Travel.
Awards
The airline won successive Best Regional Airline: Southeast Asia in 2009 and 2010 by SkytraxSkytrax
Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
at each year's respective World Airlines Awards. In October 2011, SilkAir was awarded the Regional Airline of the Year by the Centre for Aviation (CAPA), an aviation research body.
Incidents and accidents
- On 19 December 1997, SilkAir Flight 185SilkAir Flight 185SilkAir Flight 185, a Boeing 737-36N, registration 9V-TRF, was a scheduled passenger flight from Jakarta, Indonesia to Singapore, which crashed on 19 December 1997 into the Musi River after abruptly plunging from its 35,000-foot cruise altitude, killing all 97 passengers and 7 crew on board.The...
, operated by a Boeing 737-300Boeing 737 ClassicThe Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
and piloted by Captain Tsu Way Ming, plunged into the Musi River in SumatraSumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
during a routine flight from JakartaJakartaJakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
to SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, killing all 104 people on board. The crash was investigated by various groups, with different results. The Indonesian NTSCNational Transportation Safety CommitteeThe National Transportation Safety Committee is an Indonesian government agency charged with the investigation of air, land, rail, and marine transportation safety deficiencies. It has its headquarters in Jakarta....
, who were lead investigators, stated that they were unable to determine the cause, while the U.S. NTSBNational Transportation Safety BoardThe National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
concluded that the crash resulted from an intentional act by a pilot, most likely the captainPilot in commandThe pilot in command of an aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the "captain" in a typical two- or three-pilot flight crew, or "pilot" if there is only one certified and qualified pilot at the controls of...
.