SINGAPORE, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - Singapore Airlines (SIA) said Thursday it will raise fuel surcharges from next week to partially offset an increase in jet fuel prices.

It is the fourth increase in fuel surcharges this year.

The latest increase, to be levied on tickets issued from October 24, will also be applied to SilkAir, the carrier's regional wing.

SIA said it will charge 24 US dollars for flights between Singapore and Southeast Asian destinations, up from 22 dollars.

SINGAPORE, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - The first Airbus A380 superjumbo landed in Singapore on Wednesday, as the countdown began for next week's maiden commercial flight of the biggest passenger airliner ever built.

The Singapore Airlines (SIA) jet touched down at 1040 GMT -- 10 minutes late -- at Changi Airport, where hundreds of guests in business suits toasted its arrival with champagne.

The A380 arrived from France, where Airbus officials finally saw off the giant plane after 18 months of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns.

SINGAPORE, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - When they finally saw the giant plane, they gasped.

Hundreds of guests including foreign diplomats gathered in a cavernous glass-walled hall at a new Singapore airport terminal Wednesday night to welcome Singapore Airlines' first A380 superjumbo jet with a lavish reception.

They heard the massive jet before they saw it.

SINGAPORE, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - The first Airbus A380 superjumbo landed in Singapore on Wednesday, as the countdown began for next week's maiden commercial flight of the biggest passenger airliner ever built.

The Singapore Airlines (SIA) jet touched down at 1040 GMT -- 10 minutes late -- at Changi Airport, where hundreds of guests in business suits gathered for a champagne reception to welcome it.

The A380 arrived from France where Airbus officials finally saw off the giant plane after 18 months of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns.

SINGAPORE, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - The first Airbus A380 superjumbo landed in Singapore on Wednesday, as the countdown began for next week's maiden commercial flight of the biggest passenger airliner ever made.

The Singapore Airlines jet touched down at 1040 GMT -- 10 minutes late -- at Changi Airport, where hundreds of guests in business suits gathered for a champagne reception to welcome it.

The plane arrived after a flight of more than 12 hours from the headquarters of European manufacturer Airbus.

SINGAPORE, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - Ten facts about the Airbus A380 superjumbo:

- The double-decker A380 measures 73 metres (239 feet) in length, or about 80 percent of the smallest international football field

- The wing area is 845 square metres (9,092 square feet), enough to park 72 medium-sized cars on each wing

- It has 50-percent more floor space than the next biggest aircraft, the Boeing 747 jumbo, which can carry about 400 passengers

- It can carry 853 passengers in an all-economy configuration

SINGAPORE, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - The Airbus A380 superjumbo was set to land on Singapore on Wednesday as the countdown began for next week's maiden commercial flight of the biggest passenger airliner ever made.

Decked out in the blue and gold of launch customer Singapore Airlines, the A380 was en route from France, where Airbus officials finally saw off the giant plane after 18 months of delays and billions of dollars in cost over-runs.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13, 2007 (AFP) - Malaysia said Saturday it has ordered a full inquiry into how a Palestinian stowaway hid in the nose wheel well of a plane on a flight to Singapore.

'I am very unhappy with the preliminary report on the incident. The airport is a security area, this should not have happened,' Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said according to the state Bernama news agency.

SINGAPORE, Oct 13, 2007 (AFP) - A man who survived hidden in the nose wheel well of a plane on a flight from Malaysia has been charged with entering Singapore without a valid pass or permit, according to a report Saturday.

The 27-year-old Palestinian stowaway, Osama R.M. Shublaq, hid in the nose wheel well of Singapore Airlines flight SQ 119 from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), The Straits Times said.

PARIS, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - Singapore Airlines, an icon as one of the industry's most profitable carriers and launch customer for the Airbus 380 superjumbo, finally gets its hands on one of the massive jets next week.

The A380 has been delayed for 18 months by production problems but SIA, famous for its 'Singapore Girl' branding, has stuck with its order through thick and thin at Airbus to offer its first flight on October 25 to Sydney.

SHANGHAI, Sept 24, 2007 (AFP) - The looming battle for China Eastern airline is a sign of things to come as carriers fight tooth-and-nail for a piece of what has become one of the world's top aviation markets, analysts said Monday.

There are only a limited number of targets in China for acquisition-hungry foreign carriers, meaning the struggle for airlines and routes will be especially intense, they said.

SINGAPORE, Sept 13, 2007 (AFP) - An Australian businessman placed the biggest bid of 100,380 US dollars for seats on the first commercial flight of the super jumbo Airbus A380 plane, Singapore Airlines said Thursday.

Sydney businessman Julian Hayward paid that amount for a pair of one-way Suites tickets -- the most luxurous class segment -- to be on the inaugural flight on October 25 that will depart Singapore for Sydney, the carrier said.

SINGAPORE, Sept 13, 2007 (AFP) - Bidders have paid almost two million Singapore dollars (1.32 million US) for seats on the first commercial flight of the super jumbo Airbus A380 plane, Singapore Airlines (SIA) said Thursday.

Only 24 seats are left for both legs of the A380's first commercial flight on October 25 when it departs Singapore for Sydney, the carrier said in a statement.

Bidding for the remaining seats closes at the end of this week, it said.

SINGAPORE, Sept 12, 2007 (AFP) - The world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, will begin scheduled service on October 28 between Singapore and Sydney, Singapore Airlines said Wednesday.

The double-decker super jumbo will have 471 seats, including 399 in economy class, the carrier said.

It said the A380 will operate a daily return flight, replacing one of three Boeing 747-400 aircraft on the route.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is to be the first commercial airline to fly the A380.

SINGAPORE, Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) - An online auction for seats on the first commercial flight of the super jumbo Airbus A380 was set to expand Tuesday, with seats on the return Sydney to Singapore leg up for bids, Singapore Airlines said.

The eBay online marketplace was to begin offering seats at 10:00 pm Sydney time (1200 GMT) for the October 26 flight, Singapore Airlines (SIA) said in a statement.

Seats on the first outbound flight from Singapore, on October 25, have been up for auction since August 27 and remain on the block, SIA said.

Bids close next Monday.

SINGAPORE, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) - Two premium seats on the first commercial flight of the super jumbo Airbus A380 have sold for more than 100,000 US dollars, Singapore Airlines said Monday as an eBay online auction entered its second week.

'It's exceeding our expectations across the board,' Stephen Forshaw, the airline's vice-president of public affairs, told AFP.

The eBay online marketplace began taking bids on August 27 for the October 25 flight between Singapore and Sydney. Bidding ends next Monday.

SINGAPORE, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) - The risks are big but so are the long-term potential rewards for Singapore Airlines (SIA) as it takes a stake in struggling China Eastern Airlines, industry observers said Monday.

The Singapore carrier, among the world's most profitable airlines, is buying a stake in an airline which posted huge losses last year but which offers SIA a foothold in the booming Chinese aviation market, they said.

SHANGHAI, Sept 2, 2007 (AFP) - Singapore Airlines and the city-state's Temasek Holdings are to buy a combined 24 percent stake in China Eastern Airlines, the firms said Sunday amid a boom in China's travel sector.

The Singaporean national carrier and state-linked investment firm Temasek will inject a combined 7.2 billion Hong Kong dollars (923 million US) into the struggling Chinese airline to buy nearly 1.9 billion new shares in the firm.

SHANGHAI, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) - China Eastern Airlines announced Tuesday it had finally won approval to sell a stake to Singapore Airlines, in a deal that analysts said could be of huge benefit to both carriers in the long-term.

China Eastern spokesman Luo Zhuping said all Chinese authorities had given the green light on the long-awaited tie-up, and that a press conference would be held at Shanghai's Hongqiao airport on Sunday.

SINGAPORE, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) - Bidders offered thousands of US dollars Tuesday for seats on the first commercial flight of the super jumbo Airbus A380 as an online auction for seats began in earnest.

The eBay online marketplace began taking bids Monday night for the flight between Singapore and Sydney.

Bidding picked up on Tuesday, with offers on various seat combinations.

According to eBay's Singapore website, the highest bid for a single seat was 8,159 US dollars for a place in business class.

SHANGHAI, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) - China Eastern Airlines said Tuesday the Chinese government had given the final approval for it to sell a stake to Singapore Airlines (SIA), with the deal to be signed over the weekend.

'We will sign the deal at a press conference at Shanghai's Hongqiao airport on Sunday,' said China Eastern spokesman Luo Zhuping told AFP.

However he would not disclose any financial details.

SINGAPORE, Aug 27, 2007 (AFP) - An online auction for seats on the first commercial flight of the super jumbo Airbus A380, between Singapore and Sydney, began Monday night, the eBay online marketplace said.

'A380 First Flight Charity Auction has begun,' said eBay's Singapore website after the scheduled 8:00 pm (1200 GMT) start of bidding.

Seats are being offered for sale on eBay with the proceeds going to charity, SIA said in an earlier statement.

SINGAPORE, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) - An online auction for seats on the first commercial flight of the super jumbo Airbus A380, between Singapore and Sydney, was to begin Monday night, a Singapore Airlines spokesperson said.

'The auction proper will start at 8:00 (pm),' or 1200 GMT, the spokesperson told AFP.

Seats are being offered for sale on the eBay online marketplace with the proceeds going to charity, SIA said in an earlier statement.

SINGAPORE, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Singapore Airlines (SIA), which will be the first to receive delivery of the Airbus A380 jet, said Thursday the biggest passenger plane ever built will make its commercial debut on October 25.

Flight SQ380's first commercial flight departing Singapore for Sydney on October 25 will take place 10 days after SIA receives its first of 19 A380s from European aircraft maker Airbus, the carrier said in a statement.

SINGAPORE, Aug 5, 2007 (AFP) - Two Singapore Airlines planes hit each other's wings while preparing for take-off at the city-state's Changi Airport but no one was injured, the carrier said in a statement Sunday.

'It is reported that the wingtips of two aircraft came into contact while both aircraft were taxiing at low speed,' company spokesman Stephen Forshaw said.

Both Boeing 777 aircraft suffered minor damage in the accident early Saturday morning and the passengers were transferred to other aircraft for their flights to Rome and Copenhagen.

SINGAPORE, Aug 1, 2007 (AFP) - Singapore Airlines (SIA) posted a net profit of 424.1 million Singapore dollars (281 million US) in the first quarter to June on Wednesday, exceeding forecasts of 300-357 million dollars.

The June quarter net profit was however lower than the 575.1 million dollars recorded in the same period last year when earnings were boosted by 223 million dollars exceptional gain from an asset sale, SIA said in a statement.

SINGAPORE, Aug 1, 2007 (AFP) - Singapore Airlines (SIA) is not ruling out a sale of the carrier's 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways after returns from its investment in the British airline fell short of expectations, its chief executive said in remarks published Wednesday.

'Nothing is ruled out and nothing is ruled in,' chief executive Chew Choon Seng told the Straits Times newspaper.

'It has not produced the sort of returns we had anticipated when going in,' he said at the sidelines of SIA's annual general meeting Tuesday.

SINGAPORE, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Singapore Airlines (SIA) said Thursday it will again increase the fuel surcharge on tickets.

The increase, for tickets issued beginning August 2, is the result of a sustained escalation in jet fuel prices, the airline said.

For flights between Singapore and Southeast Asian destinations the surcharge rises two USdollars to 22 dollars, while it will go up nine dollars to 98 dollars for trips to North America, the airline said.

On other flights, the surcharge rises to 63 dollars from 58 dollars.