SINGAPORE Airlines traces its heritage back to 1947 when Malayan Airlines flew Airspeed Consuls from the island to Ipoh, Penang and Kuala Lumpur.
It began services to Hong Kong, using a DC-4, in 1958.
Hong Kong-based regional manager Lee Chong Kwee said the airline operated the youngest fleet in the world - the average age of its fleet of 67 Boeings and Airbuses is five years.
With 31 flights a week from Singapore's superb Changi Airport to Kai Tak, he hopes for a dramatic increase in services when Chek Lap Kok opens.
Business is brisk between the two cities, with loads averaging about 70 per cent.
But the Singapore Girl wings far further than Hong Kong. Under international aviation agreements, the airline has rights to pick up passengers in Hong Kong and fly them to San Francisco, a non-stop service that is a favourite with Hong Kong people who have relatives in the Bay area.
From Changi, the jumbos fly direct to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.