This plane is perfect; Scoot searching for Goldilocks Zone along the flight path to recovery01/07/2021 by News, Sectors 01/07/2021 by Tabbi Maytland, in DistributionAs it waits to take off, in anticipation that borders will reopen, Singapore's low-cost carrier Scoot is certain that its new aircraft A321neo will be the right choice for its recovery flight path.Campbell Wilson, the CEO, held a media briefing on Monday to announce the first flight of the Airbus A321neo from Thailand. Scoot has three of the 16 A321neo aircraft that will be joining its fleet by 2024. This is part of an order for 2019 that was meant to support growth plans prior to the pandemic that decimated global aviation.The A321neo sits somewhere in the middle of the B787 Dreamliners and the A320neo, A320ceo and A320ceo jets which make up the company's current fleet. Scoot will be able to service certain routes more often because it is smaller than the Dreamliner's wide-bodied counterpart. This will allow Scoot to better align with customer demand and optimize utilisation.Wilson stated that the A320 can also carry 50 more passengers and takes 6H longer to fly than the A320s (4-5H). This means greater unit cost efficiency on popular routes and possible opening of new routes.Although he refused to give specifics about any new destinations Scoot was interested in, he did mention the possibility of resum[ing] routes previously abandoned due to economic feasibility. He also confirmed that the new jets would be deployed to Bangkok starting June and Cebu and Ho Chi Minh City beginning August.Commonality between the A321neo and other Airbuses allows for efficiency gains in engineering, maintenance, pilot and cabin crew training, as well as in engineering and maintenance. The airline will enjoy a better customer experience by reducing jetlag and providing quieter cabins with better air quality. This is a key pillar of Scoots strategy for overcoming the Covid-19 crisis.Ambient lighting technology in the cabin will reduce jetlag. (Image Credit: Scoot.)Wilson shared some of his responses to the pandemic, referring to it as a series separate crises.Scoot was committed to providing a smooth customer experience. It is one of few airlines that offers cash refunds. You can also change your booking date once and get a refund.Scoot made a quick switch to cargo carrying in order to keep its revenues flowing. Wilson stated that Scoot was among the first to offer cargo charters and modified two single-aisle aircraft so it could carry cargo. This optimized carriage.Wilson answered questions about potential pivots and said that Scoot would remain flexible and agile but still be part of the larger SIA Group. He would rather leverage the opportunities than duplicate them. KrisShop is an example of such a strategy.Scoot has set high standards for safety and health to travel in post-pandemic areas. Scoot was the first LCC to achieve the Diamond standard in APEX/SimpliFlying's global safety audit and the first LCC that operated a flight with fully vaccinated cabin crew and pilots.Wilson was asked to predict when travel will recover after a pandemic, and he cited the IATA 2023 projection. However, he said that details of the recovery were still fluid.Scoot is equipped with crew and aircraft to handle spikes in demand. (Image Credit: ScootWilson claims that Scoot is well-positioned to capitalize on the rebound in travel. It has maintained a larger than necessary fleet of aircraft and cycled them into service to keep them warm. This will allow it to be ready for spikes in demand.Scoot is also using the lull as an opportunity to strengthen its position in LCCs of international quality. The flight of the A321neo is just one aspect of this strategy. Scoot currently has 48 additional planes in order (7 Dreamliners, 41 Airbuses), as part of its commitment maintaining an efficient and modern fleet of aircraft.Scoot also invested heavily in technology. Scoot has made significant investments in technology to improve its customer experience. Scoot now offers online checkin through chatbot and app. It is on track to offer online checkin at 41 of its 68 locations.ScootHub will allow travellers to order and pay themselves via their mobile phones.It also upgraded key infrastructure such as an enhanced revenue management software and introduced new distribution tech. These new technologies will help increase operational efficiency and digitalize work wherever possible.Scoots has a key goal of implementing sustainable operations. The A321neo, which is also part of the SIA group's commitment to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2020, boasts 22% less fuel burned per seat, 5,000 tonnes fewer CO2 emissions per year, and a half reduction in noise and NO X emissions.Fleet renewal will also bring more fuel efficient aircraft into operation. Digitizing in-flight collateral and paper consumption will decrease onboard weight and fuel productivity. There will also be a shift away from single-use plastic to sustainable packaged meals.Wilson is confident in Scoot's position, despite the uncertainty surrounding recovery of air travel. Scoot believes that the Asia-based leisure-oriented LCC model will return in the end. He also stated that Scoot used the downtime to improve, so that travel can be made more efficient when it returns.Scoot
