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The rise of Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways in the Middle East (collectively referred to as “ME3”) has been absolutely dramatic. How should other full-service carriers respond? This study takes a look at how one carrier, Singapore Airlines, has responded and may offer clues to how others may choose to respond. Facing ME3’s ascent in service quality and rapid capacity expansion, Singapore Airlines stuck to its niche as a premium carrier and refrained from tit-for-tat type competition. It managed to command a fare premium in select markets even in the presence of ME3, but had to sacrifice growth in its passenger count. This offers valuable lessons for other full-service carriers.

Maps the strategic 50‐year journey of Singapore Airlines (SIA) to identify the underlying factors that account for its extraordinary success and world‐class stature. Both longitudinal and comparative research methodologies were employed. For the former, the approach taken was to systematically research SIA’s historical development over the entire 50‐year time period. SIA was studied from its very beginning and through all phases of its development to the present day. For the latter, SIA was compared with and benchmarked against other airlines. Its unique and successful product/service differentiation strategy, epitomised by the ephemeral Singapore Girl, has turned out to be enduring and difficult‐to‐match over the past 25 years and still shows no signs of letting up.

Distils the key insights for management development from the four research papers, in this special issue taken individually as well as collectively. The perspective taken is one of strategy – for the industry practitioner or strategy/management consultant. The key insights that extend beyond the scope of individual research papers will be presented first, under the following themes: Lessons of brand/differentiation strategy; Managing a leading brand; A lesson from the case study; Strategy in a complex, turbulent and uncertain globalising environment. Key insights that are single research paper specific will be presented as follows: The story of Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Girl; Air wars in Asia: competitive and collaborative strategies and tactics in action; The Development of the airline industry from 1978 to 1998: a strategic global overview; Beyond Singapore Girl: grand and product/service differentiation strategies in the new millennium.

It has been forecast that before the turn of the millennium air travel in Asia will account for 40 percent of global travel rising to 50 percent by 2010. The International Air Transport Association also forecast world international scheduled passenger numbers to grow by an average of 7.1 percent annually to 2000, to reach 522 million. Air wars over Asia are hotting up, with some of the world’s biggest airlines engaged in intense competition over Asian skies – potentially the richest and most lucrative air travel market on Planet Earth, notwithstanding the 1997 currency turmoil. This article looks at how competition in the Asia Pacific air travel industry was played out in the 1990s. A glimpse of what is to come can be drawn from the several tough skirmishes seen thus far in the 1990s.

Takes a strategic journey into the future of the airline industry and air travel. The strategic trends and profound changes that are sweeping through the world airline industry and air travel currently, as well as into the next millennium, are analysed. So too are the responses of the lead airlines that are leading the charge in shaping as well as responding to these changes, which will present new opportunities, threats and challenges to airlines with global aspirations operating on the world stage. Singapore Airlines was analysed with British Airways and United Airlines as the leading European and US comparison airlines, respectively, for comparative and benchmarking purposes.

The rapid expansion of low-cost carriers (LCCs) in East and Southeast Asia has brought fierce competition to full-service carriers (FSCs). Competition in the air transport market is at an all-time high, thanks to the ongoing liberalization in air transport in the last several decades. This chapter assesses the efficiency performance of major FSCs in this region. It provides indicative evidence of the close association between FSCs' efficiency, and air transport liberalization and LCCs penetration. Singapore Airlines and Asiana are identified as the star companies in this region for their ability to achieve higher efficiency and, at the same time, report positive growth in productivity.

This study aims to evaluate the network robustness of major Asian airlines and to explore which airport types have the greatest impact on robustness. We also analyze airports’ specific brokerage roles and their impacts on the robustness of the entire air route network. We select 10 major Asian full-service airlines that operate the main passenger terminals at the top-ranked hub airports in Asia. Data is collected from the Official Airline Guide passenger route dataset for 2017. The results of the network robustness analysis show that Air China and China Eastern Airlines have relatively high network robustness. In contrast, airlines with broader international coverage, such as Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Singapore Airlines have higher network vulnerability. The measure of betweenness centrality has a greater impact on the robustness of air route networks than other centrality measures have. Furthermore, the brokerage role analysis shows that Chinese airports are more influential within China and Asia but are less influential globally when compared to other major hub airports in Asia. Incheon International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, and Narita International Airport play strong “liaison” roles. Among the brokerage roles, the liaison role has a greater impact on the robustness of air route networks.

This study aims to evaluate the network robustness of major Asian airlines and to explore which airport types have the greatest impact on robustness. We also analyze airports’ specific brokerage roles and their impacts on the robustness of the entire air route network. We select 10 major Asian full-service airlines that operate the main passenger terminals at the top-ranked hub airports in Asia. Data is collected from the Official Airline Guide passenger route dataset for 2017. The results of the network robustness analysis show that Air China and China Eastern Airlines have relatively high network robustness. In contrast, airlines with broader international coverage, such as Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Singapore Airlines have higher network vulnerability. The measure of betweenness centrality has a greater impact on the robustness of air route networks than other centrality measures have. Furthermore, the brokerage role analysis shows that Chinese airports are more influential within China and Asia but are less influential globally when compared to other major hub airports in Asia. Incheon International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, and Narita International Airport play strong “liaison” roles. Among the brokerage roles, the liaison role has a greater impact on the robustness of air route networks.

“There is no sound reason to believe that there will not be a single global market in air transport”. Those were the words of Sir Colin Marshall, the chairman of British Airways. To give the airline an image of being a global airline, the amount of £60 million had been earmarked. Simultaneously, British Airways Chief Executive Robert (Bob) Ayling wanted the firm to become the best‐managed company in Europe, by the year 2000. This case study assesses how British Airways have gone about achieving this goal.

Public enterprises have contributed significantly to Singapore′s economic success but in recent years they have been criticised for playing a dominant role that overshadows the private sector. The Government has decided to embark on a ten‐year privatisation process. However, public enterprises will continue to participate in business where private entrepreneurs are reluctant to venture into.