Business Interview
Carol Ong talks about Singapore Airlines’ 50th anniversary in the country and the future ahead
his year, singapore
Airlines (SIA) celebrates its golden anniversary in the country, and General Manager Carol Ong has never felt more proud. The airline company— which has forged strong ties with the Philippines—has continued its constant growth by improving on its modern innovations. Ong talks about how SIA has grown by through the years, and how she has nothing but high hopes for a company that could only get better.
How has SIA shown its growth in the Philippines over the past 50 years?
Our first flight to the Philippines was in 1966. Now, we fly from Singapore to Manila four times daily, while our subsidiary, SilkAir, operates from Cebu, Davao, and Kalibo. Connecting through our hub in Singapore, the SIA Group is able to bring our customers to over 120 destinations around the world. Last year, we launched our First Class service on the Manila to Singapore route—making us the only airline to offer this level of service on the route. We also unveiled the new-concept SilverKris Lounge.
With SIA’s 50th anniversary this year, what more can we expect from the airline?
For a start, we are adding Dusseldorf, Wellington, Canberra, and Laos to our group network this year. We are also starting our nonstop service from Singapore to San Francisco this coming October.
On the product front, we have taken delivery of the Airbus A350 and are deploying them on a number of popular routes. With advance technology and superior operating efficiency, the A350 aircraft is equipped with our latest generation cabin products, which include our all-new Business, Premium Economy, and Economy class seats.
Among the innovations and services that SIA offers, what would you say is the best one and why?
It is difficult to pinpoint a specific product or service among everything that we have introduced over the years. We have also introduced a first-of-its-kind mobile application, the Companion app, which allows passengers to customise their choice of entertainment even before boarding the plane. I suppose the answer to this question is that we believe the best innovation is always the next one, as we try to constantly outdo ourselves and exceed our customers’ expectations.
What are SIA’s plans after the 50th anniversary celebration?
We will continue to focus and strengthen the main pillars of our brand promise—service excellence, product leadership, and network connectivity. We will also continue to review our network and develop strategic partnerships with other airlines so that our customers can access more places to discover, experience, and enjoy, be it for business or leisure.
“We believe the best innovation is always the next one as we try to constantly outdo ourselves and exceed our customers’ expectations”