Singapore Airlines' A380

We’ve long had a love affair with Singapore Airlines. Last year we profiled their Pierre Balmain-designed uniforms, untouched for forty years, as a design classic in W*102. This followed with the highly coveted Airline Suite of the Year prize in our Design Awards W*107. And as if this weren’t enough, we’ve just used one of their spanking new Airbus A380’s as the backdrop to a fashion story in W*115.

The business class deck

The A380’s have caused quite a stir since their release in October 2007. Singapore Airlines were the first to snap up the airborne giants and they’ve been doing some pretty special things with them ever since.

A380’s were originally designed to hold around 525 passengers in a standard three tired class system. Singapore Airlines, however, have chosen to give their super-jumbos a considerably smaller 471-person capacity. All in the name of increased passenger comfort. The twelve ‘Singapore Airline Suites’ across the A380’s lower deck are the ultimate in first class luxury. Each suite is decked out with a gigantic cognac-leather chair, a full bed with Givenchy-designed mattress, a 23’ personal LCD screen, personal closet and a mini-bar.

Business and Economy passengers don’t do too badly either. In Business, the oversized leather chair extends into the widest business class bed on the market. Economy passengers are not only treated to more legroom than usual, but a 10’ LCD screen for each seat is thrown in to boot.