A Singapore arbitration court has ruled that pilots who fly the super jumbo A380 should be paid more than those on conventional jumbo jets, setting a benchmark that could have global implications.

The Industrial Arbitration Court judgment settled a pay dispute between Singapore Airlines, the launch customer for the double-decker A380, and pilots.

A panel, made up of an airline representative, a pilot and a judge, ruled the minimum salary for A380 captains will be S$700 (HK$3,586) a month more than that for 747-400 captains. The basic pay for a Boeing 744 captain is S$10,000 a month at SIA.

The maximum salary for A380 captains will remain at S$16,500, the B-744 maximum. The minimum for A380 first officers will be S$450 more.

Both sides welcomed the decision and acknowledged they were breaking new ground.

"We recognize there is no market data for the 380," said the Air Line Pilots Association Singapore president, Captain P. James.

Tom Ballantyne, chief correspondent for Orient Aviation magazine, said the case could be a reference point for pilots elsewhere.