Quality & Business Improvement

Abstract, Caveat, Background Information

Abstract

This report uses a 1996 case study by Robert Johnston (Professor in Operations Management, Warwick Business School, UK) as foundation material to evaluate aspects of Singapore Airlines (SIA), specifically:

• What makes it a world-class provider
• What its improvement strategy is, and how effective this is
• What aspects and approaches it would be appropriate to focus on in the next two years (1997-1999).

Caveat

The publication date of this report is December 2001. Source material will be used which was published after the date specifications noted above, as illustrations of more general points.

Background Information

Singapore Airlines (SIA) ("the Group) is a limited company (majority shareholder is the Singapore Government) which consists of the airline itself ("the Company") and 25 subsidiary companies. There are 29 associated companies in which the Group has shares⁽¹⁾.

The principal activities of the Group and Company are⁽¹⁾:

• air transportation
• engineering services
• airport terminal services
• training of staff
• air charters
• tour wholesaling and related activities.

The Company was formally set up in 1972⁽²⁾ as a national airline, following the dissolution of Malaysia- Singapore Airlines. Currently (March 2000), the airline has 97 aircraft in operation (plus 63 confirmed on order and 55 on option)⁽¹⁾ and operates 624 weekly passenger flights from Singapore. The Group's route network (including subsidiaries SilkAir and cargo) covers 91 destinations in 40 countries.