SINGAPORE, Nov 3 — Registration for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Singapore Airlines (SIA) training centre has been closed due to overwhelming demand, the carrier said on Sunday.

SIA said in a statement on Sunday evening that the Inside Singapore Airlines tour was fully booked nine hours after registration opened at 10am that morning, with 6,800 individual registrations.

Each reservation can take up to five people. 

The tours will take place over the last two weekends of this month. Due to safe distancing measures, SIA can only accommodate a maximum of 500 customers in their training centre on each day. 

This means that not all who registered will get a spot on the tour. Customers who have been successful with the booking will receive a confirmation email within three working days, and must submit their payment within 48 hours to confirm their booking. 

Highlights of the tour include a look at the airlines’ 70-year history, and a behind-the-scenes tour showing how SIA pilots and crew are trained. 

The tour costs S$32 (RM97) for adults and S$16 for children aged three to 12. There are also several add-on experiences that customers can opt for, which SIA said have all been oversubscribed. 

For instance, a flight simulator experience costs S$535, while a wine appreciation costs S$40 per person. 

For children, there is a junior cabin crew experience and a junior pilot experience that will cost S$94 and S$72 respectively. 

There will also be a grooming workshop conducted by cabin crew trainers that costs S$94, with all prices inclusive of GST.

The tours and add-on options will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis and confirmed upon payment, said SIA. 

With SIA’s wings clipped amid the pandemic, its initiatives on land have been met with staunch support. 

When SIA opened bookings for a lunch dining experience onboard its aircraft on October 12, the slots were taken up within half an hour, prompting the airlines to open up six more seatings and expanding the experience to include dinner. 

The airlines also received dozens of orders hours after it launched its meal delivery service on Oct 5, which delivered first or business class meals to customers’ homes. 

"SIA is grateful for the extremely strong support from our customers, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Inside Singapore Airlines experience,” an SIA spokesperson said. — TODAY