Celebrating the launch of SQ's Boeing 787-10 from Delhi

As I started walking from the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge in Delhi to the gate, I paid close attention to the gate I the flight was going to board from. I noted that the flight was from a closed gate, which is usually used for flights to the USA. Those flights require secondary inspection before boarding, so they are used to keep the passengers contained after the secondary checks.

In this case, however, it was a different reason to use the gate. Singapore Airlines had thrown a bash to celebrate the launch of their new 787-10 from Delhi to Singapore.

There were decorations all around the gate, which would have been a lot of work in the few hours they had to set up the gate after the last flight departed from there.

The whole environment was celebratory of course, and everyone who was being scanned in, was being given a goodie bag for the first flight of the 787-10 from India. Everyone got a model aircraft of the Boeing 787-10 and a passport holder courtesy SQ.

I managed to get a few quick pictures of the hero of the day, the Boeing 787-10.

Singapore Airlines does know how to throw a party. There was a tonne of food going around at the gate area, food which I did not indulge in because I wanted to save my appetite for the flight and the delicious SQ catering on board.

But SQ’s ground team sprung a surprise when they got everyone to clear the centre area of the gate and burst into a flashmob! There was the Delhi team of Singapore Airlines dancing to the tunes of Bollywood to celebrate the launch of the flight.

And how does a party happen without cake? There was a delicious cake waiting as well to celebrate the launch of the flight.

The captain and the crew of the flight were there to cut the cake.

It was a great celebration, given how less we really celebrate flight launches in India, and most of the times the event is limited to handing out a big boarding pass to the first guy who checks in. I am glad SQ did not do all the traditional fare but instead chose to engage with everyone on board with this special flight.

The revelry continued for about forty minutes with lots of song and dance, but I managed to get out a little quicker than that to board the plane and get some pictures before another 330 people boarded the plane.

Have you flown the Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10? Do share your experience if you have? Watch out for my experience tomorrow.