Back in April 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and global air travel ground to a halt, Singapore Airlines started flying its aircraft to desert storage in Australia, with Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage (APAS) in Alice Springs chosen as their temporary home, for what at the time was an uncertain period.

Some Scoot aircraft were also part of the mix, relocated alongside the SIA jets to join six then-SilkAir Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, which had been stored at APAS since September 2019, due to the prolonged global grounding of the MAX following two fatal crashes of the type in October 2018 and March 2019.

In total, 27 Singapore Airlines aircraft spent at least some time in storage at Alice Springs, but some four years after the first ones made their way to the remote outback airport, there’s some good news.

The last stored SIA aircraft has returned

On 24th February 2024, the final Singapore Airlines aircraft, Boeing 777-300ER 9V-SWJ, was returned from storage in Alice Springs and flown back to Singapore, for its eventual reintroduction to the fleet.

The 17-year-old aircraft was the last SIA jet to fly to Alice Springs for storage, heading there in March 2022, having been stored in Singapore for almost two years before that, since May 2020. 9V-SWJ performed its last passenger flight on 4th May 2020.

Here are some details about the aircraft.

The aircraft has worn the white Star Alliance colour scheme since June 2012, one of three in the airline’s 777-300ER fleet to do so (9V-SWI and -SWM are the others).

Singapore Airlines now has 23 Boeing 777-300ERs at Changi Airport, a fleet that was scaled down from its pre-COVID total of 27 aircraft.

However, in its latest fleet update (see Slide 22) Singapore Airlines said it only intends to return 22 Boeing 777-300ERs to service by March 2024, suggesting one more is imminently leaving the fleet.

Here’s how the Boeing 777-300ER fleet now looks, following 9V-SWJ’s return to Singapore.

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER Fleet
(as of 11th March 2024)

Registration	Age	Current Status
9V-SWB	17.4 yrs	In Maintenance
9V-SWG	17.2 yrs	In Maintenance
9V-SWH	17.1 yrs	In Service
9V-SWI	17.0 yrs	In Service
9V-SWJ	17.0 yrs	Stored (SIN)
9V-SWK	16.8 yrs	In Service
9V-SWL	16.4 yrs	In Service
9V-SWM	16.1 yrs	Stored (SIN)
9V-SWN	16.0 yrs	Stored (SIN)
9V-SWO	16.0 yrs	In Service
9V-SWP	15.9 yrs	In Service
9V-SWQ	15.9 yrs	In Service
9V-SWR	15.8 yrs	In Service
9V-SWS	15.7 yrs	In Service
9V-SWT	15.1 yrs	In Service
9V-SWU	10.7 yrs	In Service
9V-SWV	10.5 yrs	In Service
9V-SWW	10.0 yrs	In Service
9V-SWY	9.4 yrs	In Service
9V-SWZ	9.2 yrs	In Service
9V-SNA	9.1 yrs	In Service
9V-SNB	8.5 yrs	In Service
9V-SNC	8.3 yrs	In Service

A total of 18 of Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ERs are currently in regular passenger service, with two undergoing maintenance.

The remaining three aircraft, including 9V-SWJ, are now stored in Singapore.

9V-SWM and -SWN were configured as “Preighters” in November 2020, with seats removed to carry cargo in the cabin during the pandemic. Both were deployed in this configuration until 24th December 2021, but have not flown since.

Air India is due to lease three Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ERs at some stage in the future, though it hasn’t been confirmed which three those will be.

According to CEO Goh Choon Phong, SIA’s use of the Boeing 777-300ERs is being extended beyond original plans, due to the Boeing 777-9 delivery delays.

Because of a delay in the 777-9s, we do have to look at extending the use of some of the aircraft that we have, particularly the older 777-300ERs.

Goh Choon Phong, CEO, Singapore Airlines
17th May 2023

The long-overdue 777-9 certainly can’t come fast enough for SIA, with Boeing 777-300ERs even stepping in for the Airbus A380 on routes including Sydney, Hong Kong, Delhi and Mumbai this summer, while some of the superjumbos undergo regular maintenance.

SIA’s oldest operating 777-300ER, 9V-SWB, is approaching 18 years of age. The airline typically does not keep aircraft in its fleet beyond around 15 years.

Full list of Alice Springs returnees

Here’s a summary of the 15 Singapore Airlines aircraft that were temporarily stored in Alice Springs, which have now returned to Changi, with all but the latest returnee (9V-SWJ) already back in regular service with the carrier.

Singapore Airlines aircraft stored at Alice Springs
(now returned to SIN)

Registration	ASP Storage	Strorage Duration
9V-SKP	27 Jun 2020 – 29 Jun 2022	732 days
9V-SKQ	27 Jun 2020 – 22 Feb 2021	240 days
9V-SKT	26 Apr 2020 – 16 Nov 2021	569 days
9V-SKW	26 Apr 2020 – 28 Jul 2021	458 days
9V-SKY	26 Apr 2020 – 1 Sep 2021	493 days
9V-SKZ	26 Apr 2020 – 1 Mar 2022	674 days

Registration	ASP Storage	Strorage Duration
9V-MBA	30 Sep 2019 – 30 Dec 2020	457 days
9V-MBB	5 Oct 2019 – 15 Jul 2021	649 days
9V-MBC	11 Oct 2019 – 27 Mar 2021	533 days
9V-MBD	17 Oct 2019 – 4 Jun 2021	596 days
9V-MBE	23 Oct 2019 – 12 Jun 2021	598 days
9V-MBF	29 Oct 2019 – 26 Feb 2021	486 days

Registration	ASP Storage	Strorage Duration
9V-SWJ	22 Mar 2022 – 24 Feb 2024	704 days
9V-SWK	1 Sep 2021 – 10 Jun 2023	647 days
9V-SWL	29 Mar 2021 – 30 Aug 2022	519 days

As you can see, 9V-SWJ had the second-longest stint in Alice Springs at 704 days, only pipped by Airbus A380 9V-SKP, which called the Northern Territory airport home for a whopping 732 days (just over two years).

Hang on, aren’t there still SIA aircraft in Alice Springs?

Yes and no…

While some of the SIA Group aircraft that flew to Alice Springs for long-term storage have not returned to the fleet, it turns out these were on one-way tickets and they sadly won’t be returning to service with the airline.

This applies to:

• 7 Boeing 777-200s that were leased to NokScoot
  9V-SRF*
  9V-SRG
  9V-SRH*
  9V-SRJ*
  9V-SRL*
  9V-SRP*
  9V-SRQ*
• 3 Boeing 777-200ERs that were close to the end of their service life
  9V-SVB*
  9V-SVC*
  9V-SVE*
• 2 Airbus A380s that were surplus to requirements
  9V-SKK
  9V-SKL

* Already departed ASP to an onward operator

All 12 of these aircraft have already been sold or returned to lessors and formally deregistered by the airline; they are no longer part of the SIA fleet.

As you can see, most of these aircraft have already left Alice Springs for a new airline.

Our readers are always most interested in the Airbus A380s, so here’s the final fate of the pair still parked in Alice Springs, but no longer registered to Singapore Airlines.

• 9V-SKK stored in Alice Springs since 21st July 2020.
  Deregistered and returned to its owner Hannover Leasing in early 2024.
  Remains in Alice Springs.

• 9V-SKL stored Alice Springs since 22nd February 2021.
  Deregistered and returned to its owner Lloyd Fonds AG in late 2023.
  Remains in Alice Springs (recent photo).

These A380s are unlikely to find new owners and will probably end up being broken up for spare parts, the same fate that befell 9V-SKG, -SKH, SKI and SKJ, and still awaits 9V-SKF in Singapore.

Singapore Airlines began flying many of its passenger aircraft to Alice Springs in Australia for desert storage from mid-2020, as the reality of a prolonged impact from the COVID-19 pandemic began to become apparent.

Fast forward four years and we can happily report that that last stored aircraft has returned back to Changi in preparation for re-entry to service, boosting the Boeing 777-300ER fleet ahead of the busy upcoming summer season, during which the jets will also step in for Airbus A380s on some routes.

Unfortunately a dozen of SIA’s aircraft that were relocated to Alice Springs never returned, and never will, although in the case of the Boeing 777-200s and -200ERs this was inevitable.

(Cover Photo: Shutterstock)