SINGAPORE (AP): Singapore Airlines Ltd., the first carrier in the world to fly the new superjumbo A380, said Tuesday a pair of premium seats on the jet's inaugural flight were auctioned for more than US$100,000.
Singapore Airlines is auctioning all seats on the A380's Oct. 25 flight from Singapore to Sydney on eBay and donating the proceeds to charity.
Airbus' first delivery of the hulking jet, with 471 seats in three classes, has been set for Oct. 15.
The highest bid on the double-decker aircraft so far was by an Australian businessman who paid US$100,380 for a pair of first-class seats, said Stephen Forshaw, a Singapore Airlines spokesman.
The auction, which started last week, has raised about US$400,000 in total so far. The first one-way economy-class seat sold for US$5,000 and the first one-way business-class seat was purchased for US$15,000, Forshaw said.
Seats on the Sydney-Singapore return flight were to be auctioned later Tuesday, he added.
"The indications we have from pre-qualified bidders is many of those who are bidding on the Singapore-Sydney flight also want to bid on the Sydney-Singapore flight," he said.
Bidding ends next Monday.
Airbus is counting on a glitch-free introduction of the plane after a series of delays caused shares in its parent company, European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. NV, to plunge and wiped billions of dollars off profit forecasts.
To date, Airbus has received 173 orders from various airlines for the superjumbo.
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