Page 24 - AAA MAY - JUNE 2015 Online Magazine

INTERVIEW SCOOT AIRLINES

supporters on Facebook alone, surpassing interact with people and some people fit logically follows, there is a 15% margin
all Singapore based airlines. and some don’t, through not fault of their that can improve operating margins or
Campbell recalled some difficult own. Those are hard cause those people pass back to customers in form lower
decisions made as boss. “A lot of the might not have necessary done anything airfare. “ he said,“ The fact that the
decisions are difficult only because of the wrong, and they are whom you genuinely 787 lower our cost base means we can
immediacy required in a decision.” He like, but you have to make a decision for lower the airfare without harming the
recounted when Scoot had only have three your organisation. “ business.”
aircraft, they were faced with a potential The 787, nicknamed “Dream Start”
major disruption when one aircraft The Dream Start was delayed from its initial delivery date of
was down with engineering issues, and Four years on, Scoot has achieved November 2014 due to labour movement
another diverted due to weather. “It was great milestones by ferrying her fourth from seat-maker Zodiac. Campbell
a Friday night and we could just see that millionth passenger in January and looking at the glass half-full mentioned
the schedule disruption will go on for delivering Singapore’s first Boeing 787 it is the best time to have a delay as the
four or five days. So we made a decision Dreamliner. They were also awarded the holiday season in December allows their
to charter a plane from another airline, Best Low Cost Airline (Asia Pacific) 2015 402-seater Boeing 777 to be quickly filled.
and the charter contract was literally by Airlineratings.com. Scoot’s 787-9 is the Current and future Dreamliners
concluded by SMS and within about 4 first LCC to operate the Dash 9 version will be equipped with optional in-seat
hours the aircraft was en route taking our of the Dreamliner, and at 375 seats, the power, Wifi and entertainment streaming
passengers. That was a multiple hundred highest density 787 to fly the international across both ScootBiz and Economy class.
thousand dollars decision. “ route. The airline received twenty 787- Scoot’s network reaches beyond 5 hours
He explained that it was in a way 9 from Singapore Airline’s in 2012, and and hence is able to provide optional
a dilemma as Scoot tickets are not converted ten to the 787-8. meals, entertainment and services
refundable, and they do not shy away Touted to be 20% more fuel efficient not previously associated with LCC.
from the fact that delays happen, and that other aircraft, Campbell believes He believes the Scoot will recalibrate
passengers should get insurance, but the 787 allows the airline to pass back people’s perception of low cost flying
at the same time he have to service the the savings back to the customers. “Fuel as cheap and nasty experience, and the
affected passengers. until recently accounts to 50% of our Dreamliner will further magnify that.
“But staff decision are hard. We have a costs, because of the reduction of fuel Despite the ability to reach London,
particular vision for the airline and how we prices, it is now around the mid 40%. So he played down speculations to fly long
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