Singapore - Singapore Airlines (SIA), the first carrier in the world to fly the new Airbus A380, is auctioning the seats on eBay and donating the proceeds from first flight ticket sales to charities, SIA said on Wednesday. The first commercial flight of the double-decker jumbo from Singapore to Sydney and return will take place in October.
"In response to requests from people all over the world to be passengers on the first flight, SIA will auction the seats on global online marketplace eBay," the carrier said in a statement.
SIA will receive the A380, which seats 555 people, after more than a one-year delay due to production problems.
The date will be fixed after final notification from Airbus about the delivery date, the statement said.
"The first commercial A380 flight will be a moment in aviation history," said SIA Chief Executive Officer Chew Choon Seng. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, on an aircraft that will mark a new chapter in air travel."
Chew said the airline wants to use the opportunity to benefit worthwhile charities - the Singapore Community Chest, the Sydney Children's Hospital, the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney and Doctors Without Borders.
Support for the flight comes from three SIA partners - ExxonMobil, eBay and Paypal.
ExxonMobil will donate the fuel. EBay will subsidize the fees and charges from the auction of the seats, and PayPal, a leader in online payment solutions, will rebate a portion of its fees and charges, the statement said.
The auction will be conducted some weeks prior to the flight.
Airbus has received 173 orders for the A380 from different airlines.
