Singapore Airlines appoints new general manager for UK and Ireland
Yong replaces Phee Teik Yeoh who has been posted back to Head Office in Singapore, having previously held the position since May 2010.
Yong will be based at the Singapore Airlines London office in Chiswick and brings with him a wealth of valuable aviation and management experience from his previous Singapore Airlines posts. He arrives from Seoul, where he spent two years fulfilling a similar role as Singapore Airlines’ general manager Korea.
Originally from Malaysia, Yong joined Singapore Airlines over a decade ago, in June 2001 and has since held a variety of roles, based both in the company’s Singapore head office and overseas. Prior to Korea, he was state manager in Chubu, Nagoya, Japan and has also spent time in passenger sales, company planning and the commercial technology divisions.
The UK team comprises over 100 employees, of which seven report directly to the general manager role, while Yong will himself report to regional vice president Europe, Paul Tan.
Tan said: “The UK will always be a key market for Singapore Airlines and in Mr Yong it is great to be welcoming a General Manager UK & Ireland who has prior familiarity and experience. Having worked with Mr Yong during his previous role in London, I am confident that his leadership will result in a very successful period for our operations here, building on the great work of his predecessor, Mr Yeoh.
Yong added: “I am delighted to have returned to the UK and to be leading the Singapore Airlines teams within the UK and Ireland. 2013 is set to be a big year for us as we continue to build on our four daily and daily frequencies from London Heathrow and Manchester respectively, whilst also launching our new aircraft cabin interiors. A dynamic market, there are many lively political debates around UK aviation at the moment and I am looking forward to continuing Singapore Airlines’ role as a supportive partner and industry leader in this respect.”
