Singapore Airlines has grown to become one of the world’s leading carriers. Kevan James charts its rise.
Some airlines are large for obvious reasons given the country they’re based in, yet there are others whose scale is apparently out of all proportion with the territory they serve. Singapore Airlines (ICAO code SIA) is one of the carriers to which this applies.
The carrier started operations on May 1, 1947 as Malayan Airways Limited, with a single Airspeed AS.65 Consul departing from Singapore’s Kallang Airport on the first of a three-times-a-week service to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Ipoh.
Within a year the larger and faster Douglas DC-3 had been introduced, with services starting to Jakarta, Medan and Palembang in Indonesia plus Saigon and Bangkok. The carrier’s first jet was the de Havilland Comet 4 which it flew from 1962 until 1968.
The creation of the Federation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963 led to the airline changing its name to Malaysian Airways Limited; and in 1967 it became Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA).
The same year Boeing 707s were chartered and then purchased the next year. It was also one of two launch customers for the Boeing 737-100, in 1969.
The kebaya sarong worn by female fli…
