“We always think about our service for passengers. Just good is not enough, it has to be the best,” he said.

SIA is considered as the airline with the best service in the world. Almost every month, the airline wins an award from one institution or another. Two months ago, for example, SIA received a Service Quality Award from Carre — Center for Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty (CCSSL) and Marketing Magazine for its quality service.

SIA is rated 4.1557 on the Indonesian Service Satisfaction Index (ISSI). The company was also rated above average on the Industry International Service Index and was awarded the prestigious Service Quality Diamond Award 2010

Achievements such as these are added burdens for Yap that fortunately have been transformed into creative energy that enables him to come up with innovative products and services. With all the innovations plus the management’s commitment to innovations, the airline, which was established in 1972, has become a world-class carrier that flies to almost 100 destinations on five continents. Along with its Star Alliance network, SIA has more than 19,700 daily flights to 1,077 destinations in 175 countries.

Low cost-carriers offering cheap tickets have undeniably disturbed full-service airlines the world over, but SIA has for some time had subsidiary airlines SilkAir and Tiger, while SIA still maintains its number one full service.

“Constantly redefine the travel experience and continue the pace of innovation, that is a hallmark of SIA,” said Yap, who joined SIA in 1975.

Yap said that in the early 1970s, SIA was the first airline to provide free headsets, drinks and food in economy class. SIA has also been a trendsetter in various services, such as introducing the first non-stop flight to London from Singapore in 1984, the first in-flight telephones in 1991, the first to launch in-flight trial of email in 2001, the first to launch audio and video on demand in all classes in 2001, the world’s longest non-stop flights in 2004 and the introduction of A380 planes in 2007.

While in economy class you already get the best service, it is more so in business and first class. Since September 1998, its world class chefs, members of the Singapore Airlines’ International Culinary Panel (ICP), have prepared the onboard food.

“The food has to be better than in the best restaurants,” said Yap, who graduated from the National University of Singapore’s School of Mechanical Engineering.

As a professional engineer, Yap has held various senior positions at SIA, including marketing, cabin crew, human resources and as regional director in charge of West Asia and Africa. He has also been chief executive of Singapore Airport Terminal Services Catering and general manager of Singapore Airport Terminal Services Cargo, both of which are affiliates of Singapore Airlines.

Yap is currently senior vice president for product and services and is responsible for customer service and product brand positioning. He also handles other functional areas, such as product design and innovation, terminal operation and service, in-flight services and catering, in-flight entertainment, customer servicing, staff training and development.

Good food and wine is the principle he always applies in SIA. In the first class section, the wine is from Bordeaux, France, which is one of the top wine regions in the world.

“The dining experience in SIA is exquisite, elegant and exclusive,” stressed Yap, whose hobbies are scuba diving and golf.

So, obviously it is not without reason that SIA finally published a book titled Above and Beyond: A Collection of Recipes from the Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel. The book contains 50 delectable recipes created by world-class chefs, namely Georges Blanc (France), Sanjeev Kapoor (India), Sam Leong (Singapore), Matt Moran (Australia), Yoshihiro Murata (Japan), Alfred Portale (US), Gordon Ramsay (UK), Zhu Jun (China), Nancy Oakes (US) and Yeung Koon Yat (Hong Kong)
The cookbook is more than a book containing recipes but it is a contribution to customers and the public in general. The book was launched during a charity gala dinner held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore on July 9, 2010. Proceeds from the books and several auctioned items generated S$1.418 million, which was donated to a non-profit organization, Singapore’s Community Chest, which is a part of the Straits Times Pocket Money Fund and the Business Times Budding Artists Fund.

The publication of the book, said Yap, is not part of the airline’s business but is the airline’s contribution to its customers and to the public in general.

“Passengers can try the F&B a la SQ in their home,” said Yap, who is also chairman of Tradewinds Tours & Travel, a board member of the Singapore Land Authority, board director of Virgin Holidays and a member of the Quality Service Advisory Committee chaired by the Minister of Trade and Industry.

Not only will the book help Community Chest in its charitable work but it will also help boost the airline’s image of a leading, first class airline.

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