The first of five Airbus A340-500s for Singapore Airlines (SIA) has begun flight testing at the Airbus plant in Toulouse ahead of service entry in February. The aircraft will inaugurate non-stop services from Singapore to Los Angeles on 3 February, with Singapore-New York non-stops starting in August. Meanwhile, SIA is the third Asian carrier to sign a letter of intent with Connexion by Boeing covering high-speed internet-based communications on long-haul aircraft, beginning by the third quarter of 2004. The letter of intent covers installations on 40 aircraft, plus an undisclosed number of options.
Source: Flight International
