Hero to zero: SIA’s fleet growth crashes as Mideast rivals soar

It has been a stagnant decade for the national carrier.

There was a time when SIA’s fleet size was on top of its Mideast competitors. But that time is past, and now the national carrier’s rivals have far overtaken it in terms of aircraft count.

Data from Barclays Research revealed how far SIA has fallen in the past decade. Emirates Airlines’ fleet was 44% smaller than SIA’s at the end of 2004, but has grown to be 53% bigger by 2014.

From 2004 to 2014, both Emirates airlines and Turkish Airlines had a compound annual growth rate of 14%, while SIA languished with a mere 3%.

According to Barclays, “The capacity growth of the Middle Eastern carriers was well supported by the demand growth, with higher RPK growth than SIA’s. Emirates’ RPK grew at 18% CAGR vs SIA’s 4% in FY04-14.”

“We expect the Middle Eastern carriers to continue gain market share from SIA, based on their large aircraft order books relative to their current fleet sizes. The confidence of the Middle Eastern carriers lies in their distinctive competitive advantages,” the report noted.

If you've been wondering whether SBR could work for your company — yes, probably.

A lot of the companies we partner with started as readers. They'd been following our coverage for a while, saw their own customers and competitors in it, and eventually asked the obvious question: could we do something with you? The answer is usually yes. The shape of it depends on what you're trying to do.

The options are broader than most people assume — thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. Some partners use one channel; most use a mix. We figure out the right combination by starting with your brief, not with our rate card.

So if the question has been on your mind, here's the easy way to ask it.

We'll tell you honestly whether we can help, and how. It's a better use of everyone's time.

Book a meeting

| Or download the media kit (PDF)

240,000 senior readers quarterly in print Top 1,700 Singapore companies reached

7 markets across Southeast Asia