SIA gets first 'game changing' A350 jet

SIA, hurt by competition from opulent Middle Eastern carriers and a rash of budget airlines, is trying to revive its fortunes the way it knows best: wooing flyers with new aircraft. Thursday, the carrier will bring its first Airbus A350 jet to Singapore. While the A350 with its extra-wide cabins and high-tech gadgets such as an entertainment system that will interact with a passenger's mobile phone will set SIA apart from local rivals, it might be too little, too late to turn around its fortunes. SIA needs new passengers to stem a slide in earnings. Operating profit has fallen 76% from a peak 8 years ago. Sales reached a high in the year ended March 2009 as the global financial crisis crimped premium travel. The carrier is counting on cabin comforts to lure higher-end passengers used to its fully flat beds as well as more price-conscious customers. <br/>