Singapore Airlines (SIA) has undertaken a massive investment of over 2 billion Singapore dollars (1.6 billion US dollars) to significantly improve the travel experience in its Business and First classes. This ambitious investment aims to keep the airline at the forefront of global competition by introducing new seats, dining options and in-flight entertainment.
At the heart of this upgrade programme are the new premium cabin seats for long-haul flights, which will debut gradually on long-range and ultra-long-range Airbus A350 aircraft, starting from mid-2027.
First Class seats will offer 32-inch high-definition 4K screens, Bang & Olufsen noise-cancelling headphones, and the option for passengers to book configurations with a double bed and face-to-face dining. Meanwhile, Business Class seats will be equipped with 22-inch 4K screens, wireless charging and Bluetooth audio connectivity, offering a high level of comfort and technology. These modifications to the A350 aircraft come at a time when SIA is facing prolonged delays in the delivery of its new Boeing 777-9 aircraft, which were originally scheduled to arrive in 2021 and now have an uncertain delivery date.
The decision to bring the new products to the A350 was taken precisely because of the delays with the 777-9, as SIA Chief Commercial Officer Lee Lik Hsin stated at a press conference on 4 November. Boeing had announced in its third-quarter results that it would not deliver the first 777-9 aircraft to customers until 2027. SIA Chief Operating Officer Tan Kai Ping described the programme as “a long-delayed programme” and stressed that the aircraft will not be part of SIA’s fleet in the current financial year ending March 2027, expressing hope that they will appear in the next financial year. These new products will also debut on the 777-9 aircraft when they enter service with SIA.
Beyond the premium classes, minor improvements will also be added to the other cabins. Premium Economy cabins will have an extra inch of legroom, while Economy Class will get new upholstery. Both classes will also be fitted with new 4K entertainment monitors on the seatback; however, these new features for Economy and Premium Economy seats will only be available on upcoming 777-9 aircraft. The announcement comes after SIA was named the World’s Best Airline for 2026 by Skytrax, and won the title of World’s Best Economy Class, although it lost in the Business Class category to Qatar Airways and in the First Class category to Air France.
Earlier this year, the airline had also announced the introduction of Starlink service on nearly all of its Airbus aircraft, except the medium-range A350 variant, starting from the first quarter of 2027. This would cover around half of its current fleet. In September, SIA also unveiled a new in-flight dining experience, adding new menus and drink offerings for all classes, as well as serving tableware by Christofle specially designed for its premium cabins.New branded amenity kits were also announced for Business and First Class passengers, namely Sisley in First Class and BYREDO in Business Class. For the first time for the airline, sleepwear will also be available to Business Class passengers. These changes are accompanied by a special investment of 130 million Singapore dollars to renovate its Silverkris lounges and an end-to-end experience that begins at the entrance of Singapore’s Changi Airport for Suites and First Class passengers, including porter service, priority immigration and security checks, and a buggy transfer service.
Source: CNBC