Singapore Airlines the world’s first airline to put into service the A380 aircraft has announced that it will begin services from Singapore to Hong Kong with the A380 aircraft.

Hong Kong A380 flights will being from 9 July 2009 and is expected to be a move to seal some of the Cathay Pacific’s Singapore to Hong Kong market share.

The full media release from Singapore Airlines can be read below:

Singapore Airlines will fly the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, on the Singapore-Hong Kong route from 9 July 2009.

Hong Kong will be the fifth international destination and second Asian city which Singapore Airlines operates the superjumbo aircraft to. The Airline started operating the A380 in October 2007 to Sydney and subsequently added services to London, Tokyo and Paris.

The daily A380 flights will replace an existing daily B777-300ER service to Hong Kong. The operation of the 471-seat Singapore Airlines A380 to Hong Kong represents an increase of 10% in seat capacity to the city.

“The operation of the A380 to Hong Kong shows our confidence in the demand for both business and leisure travel between Singapore and the famed ‘Pearl of the Orient’.  Hong Kong is a vibrant business hub and at the same time it has much to offer leisure travellers looking for great places to shop, eat and play,” said Mr. Huang Cheng Eng, Singapore Airlines’ Executive Vice President, Marketing and the Regions.

Following the commencement of the A380 service, SQ862, from Singapore to Hong Kong, will be re-numbered SQ856. SQ856 will depart Singapore Changi Airport at 0945hrs and arrive in Hong Kong at 1330hrs. On the return leg, SQ861 will depart Hong Kong International Airport at 1600hrs and touch down in Singapore at 1940hrs.

Singapore Airlines currently operates five daily non-stop flights between Singapore and Hong Kong, along with daily non-stop services between Hong Kong and San Francisco.

Customers travelling on the Singapore Airlines A380 to Hong Kong will experience unrivalled standards of luxury and sophistication in air travel.

Exclusively available on the A380 are the Singapore Airlines Suites. Each Suite customer enjoys a high level of privacy in his own cabin in the sky, behind sliding doors and adjustable roller blinds. The Suites come furnished with a luxurious and fully adjustable leather seat, upholstered by world-renowned Poltrona Frau, and a full-sized bed. For entertainment, customers can enjoy crystal-clear images on a sleek 23-inch high-resolution LCD monitor, mounted on the wall in each Suite.

The Singapore Airlines A380 Business Class is in a league of its own. Measuring 86 centimetres (34 inches) in width, the Business Class seat is one of the widest in the world and each has direct access to the aisle. Each seat can be converted into a comfortable wide bed, simply by folding down the seat back.  

Singapore Airlines’ new Economy Class seats offer customers unprecedented comfort and space. The ergonomically designed seat not only maximises knee and legroom, it also boasts intelligent features such as a non-intrusive reading light and height-adjustable leather headrests with side panels.

Customers across all three classes can enjoy a wide range of the latest movies, TV programmes and a library of CDs on KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines’ award-winning inflight entertainment system. Come mealtime, delectable inflight meals, designed exclusively by world-class chefs like Matt Moran from Australia, Zhu Jun from China and Sam Leong from Singapore, are served and presented on exclusive Givenchy-designed service ware.

Singapore Airlines currently has eight A380s in service, a further 11 on firm order, and options on six more.