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Things to know
Travel to the Country
Travel
within the Country
Singapore Ailrines
TRAVEL TO THE
COUNTRY
Airports:
Changi Airport in Singapore is
10 miles (6km) from the city center.
Airlines:
Air Canada: Tel 732-8555
Air
India: Tel 220-5277
Air New Zealand: Tel
535-8266
American Airlines: Tel 221-6988
British
Airways: Tel 533-1333
Cathay Pacific: Tel 533-1333
China
Airlines: Tel 250-2888
Japan Airlines (JAL): Tel
221-0522
Korean Air: Tel 534-2111
Malaysian Airline
System (MAS): Tel 336-6777
Philippine Airlines: Tel
336-1611
Qantas: Tel 737-3744
Singapore Airlines: Tel
223-8888
Swissair: Tel 737-8133
United Airlines: Tel
220-0711
Trains:
Singapore is the southern terminal
of the Malaysian railway system.
Buses:
Express buses run daily between
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Ships and Ferries:
Major cruise lines to
Singapore include Ocean/Pearl, Cunard, Royal Cruise, Princess
Cruises and the Royal Viking Line. Ask your travel agent for
more details. TRAVEL WITHIN THE
COUNTRY
 Cars:
You can rent a car from any of the
international firms, or from local car hire firms. You will
need both a national and international licence. Driving is on
the left side of the road, and wearing a seat belt is the law.
Trains:
Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit
(MRT) system is a new, clean and easy way to travel. The train
consists of two main lines that run north-south and east-west.
Coin-operated ticket-dispensing machines are located inside
the main doors at each station.
There will be a third MRT line (the North East Line) scheduled to be completed by end 2002.
The ticket-dispensing machines also accept dollar notes and is
located opposite the ticket machines. Enter the platform
through the gates marked with green arrows. There you insert
your ticket, arrow first (and facing up). The machine will
open the gate and return the ticket. The same procedure is
followed at your destination, except that your ticket will not
be returned.
Instead of using cash, you may choose to pay your MRT and bus fares with a stored value ez-link Card. The Card can be bought or revalued from any TransitLink Ticket Sales Office located in most MRT stations and bus interchanges. Each adult Card is sold with a minimum value of SGD 10 plus a deposit fee of SGD 5.
For more information, call the TransitLink Hotline: 1800-767 4333 (toll free in Singapore only)
Buses:
There are two types of buses
in Singapore: the Singapore Bus Service and the Trans-Island
Bus Service. You can purchase a Singapore Explorer ticket that
will allow you to travel anywhere for up to three days.
The ticket comes with a useful map with details on major
tourist destinations and which service to use to get there.
For more information, pick up the "See Singapore by Bus"
pamphlet from the STB (Singapore Tourism Board
Raffles City.
Ships and Ferries:
Major cruise lines to Singapore include Star Cruises, Cunard and P&O / Princess Cruises. Ask your travel agent for more details
Ferry and water taxi services departing from Clifford Pier, Jardine Steps and the
World Trade Centre can take you to Singapore's outlying
islands. Visitors going to Pulau Ubin can take a boat from Changi Jetty
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines is the national airline of Singapore. It uses the IATA call code SQ.
Singapore Airlines began as "Malayan Airlines" in 1947, flying an Airspeed Consul twin engined airplane between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, and Penang (two cities and an island of what is now called West Malaysia).
The remainder of the 1940s was a growth period for Malayan Airlines, as was the 1950s. World War II had just finished and people around the world wanted to travel, a privilege that they had sometimes been denied because of the situation worldwide during previous years, and residents of Singapore and Malaysia were no exception. By 1955, Malayan Airlines' fleet had grown to include a large number of Douglas DC-3s.
In 1963, creation of the Federation of Malaysia brought a change of name, to "Malaysian Airways". In 1966, the name was changed again, this time to "Malaysia-Singapore Airlines" or "MSA".
This airline lasted for six years, ceasing operations in 1972, when political disagreements between Singapore and Malaysia resulted in the formation of two new airlines: Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Singapore's airline company had 10 aircraft at that time.
Singapore Airlines saw rapid growth during the 1970s, adding many cities in the Indian subcontinent and Asia to the 22 city network it already served, and acquiring Boeing 747 airplanes.
During the 1980s, the United States, Canada, and many European cities joined Singapore Airline's route map. During this time, Madrid became the first and only hispanic city to be served by Singapore Airlines.
During the 1990s, Singapore Airlines licensed model airplane companies like Schabak, Wooster plastic airplanes, Herpa Wings and many others, to manufacture promotional plane models for them. Their Boeing 747's became known as the Megatops, and they ordered Boeing 767 and Airbus equipment to compliment the Megatops.
December 19th, 1997 was a tragic day for the airline. SilkAir (a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines) Flight MI 185, piloted by Captain Tsu Way Ming, plunged into the Musi River in Sumatra during a routine flight from Jakarta to Singapore killing 104 people on board.
October 31st 2000 was another tragic day for the airline. Singapore Airlines flight #006, from Taipei, to Los Angeles, took off from the wrong runway. The crew, for reasons not entirely explained, were unaware that Taipei International's runway 05R had been closed for repairs following the passing of typhoon Xiang Sane. In consequence, the aircraft ran into construction machinery, and the resulting explosion killed 83 of the 179 passengers.
Singapore Airlines has an enviable reputation in the air transport industry. It is generally regarded as Asia's leading airline and has won "World's best Airline" and "Airline of The Year" awards several times. It owns a large part of Air New Zealand and is a prominent member of the worldwide Star Alliance.
Singapore Airlines operates the youngest fleet in Asia, including the Boeing 747-400, and 777, Airbus A-310 and A-340, and is a launch customer for the largest passenger aircraft yet proposed, the Airbus A380.
Other facts of interest
Singapore Airlines flew, for a short period of time, a Concorde that it shared with British Airways. The plane had Singapore Airlines' livery on one side, and British Airways' logo on the other.
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