The Singapore Girl…

Friends have given me an earful since I put up my recent post about my world of aviation involving Boeing, me and Seattle. In various levels of decibels and tones, they wanted to know why I had left out the world famous Singapore Girl, the flying icon of Singapore Airlines in the post. I explained to them that the post was prompted by my visit to Seattle and the Boeing plant earlier this month and how I had started my aviation career as an airframe/structures engineer. I protested that there was little connection between my engineering responsibilities then and the more glamorous world of the flight attendants. I protested, but to no avail. Yes, my friends are right. This post is my tribute to the Singapore Girl. 

In truth, after I left the Engineering division to join the commercial side of the airline in the Marketing division, the Singapore Girl was there to grace our promotional, corporate, anniversaries and travel trade events. They were on hand to walk us to the stage to deliver a speech, to hand out prizes or to officiate important cermonies. They are, in fact, the focus of attention for the events! 

At Madame Tussauds…

In 1993, Singapore Airlines was privileged to have the famous Madame Tussauds create a wax model in the very likeness of a real Singapore Girl. Miss Tan Suet Kwee was that famous Singapore Girl. A record was set. She became the first commercial and non-celebrity to be honoured in the hallowed hall of Madame Tussauds wax museum. It also signified that the airline industry and their flight attendants have finally been accorded a rightlful place. As the incumbent General Manager UK & Ireland, it was for me such a great opportunity and fun to hold a celebratory party in Madame Tussauds itself for our travel, freight and the other business partners. Suet Kwee and six other SIA stewardesses flew into London to help my UK team host the party, complete with Dom Perignon champagnes and wines from the First Class menu plus the Tourism Minister as the guest of honour. 

A New Airline…

In 01 October 1972 Singapore Airlines was born out of its predecessor Malaysia-Singapore Airlines, it went all out to o develop its international routes. It had no other option. Its fleet comprised of 10 Boeing 707s (of which 7 were pre-owned   by Braniff, Continental and Qantas) and 5 Boeing 737s. The first 2 Boeing 747 jumbos joined the fleet a year later. The airline entered into a Goliath world and distinguished itself through sheer branding, entrepreneurship, fiercely loyal and cohesive staff, a strong marketing-driven organization that is decentralized to regional centres for effective pricing and fast market response.

A Great way To Fly…

Embodied in that branding is the Singapore Girl, created by a start-up advertising company founded by Ian Batey. Outfitted in a two-piece sarong kebaya designed by the Pierre Balmain fashion house, they have delivered an inflight service that ‘Even Other Airlines Talk About’, a boast and a challenge the Singapore Girls and the guys have delivered consistently. The airline has relied on its legendary inflight service, embodied in its slogan ‘A Great Way To Fly‘ for a rather lengthy period. It was not until the early 1980s that a second marketing pillar was created – the Most Modern Fleet in the World campaign. The third pillar was built over stages for it was to be a service culture – from the Show You Care, Dare to Care and Service Entrepreneurship stages – so that the travelling public can expect the best service on the ground AND in the air.

All Around The World…

All around the world, as sung in one of the Singapore Girl commercial jingle, where I have been posted, from Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Japan , the Singapore Girl had come to help grace the many functions held. To all the Singapore Girls, a big thank you. Hope you stumble upon this post, read it and feel a warmth and pride inside. And to all the inflight guys, you know it all along that deep inside, you share the same sense of pride in sailing behind the Singapore Girls.   

Related Posts : 

• What Everyone’s Buying in Singapore: the Sarong Kebaya (jaunted.com)
• My World Of Aviation | Boeing, Me and Seattle (retiredowhat.com)
• Singapore Air Posts Quarterly Profit Amid Rising Travel Demand (bloomberg.com)
• Madame Tussauds reveals Jubilee waxwork of Queen (newsviews.co.uk)