Key facts
- Singapore Airlines said the investment exceeds S$2 billion and includes a S$1.1 billion A350 refurbishment plan announced in 2024.
- Chief Commercial Officer Lee Lik Hsin said the program is funded from a cash balance of S$9.1 billion as of end-June.
- First-class center seats convert into what the airline calls the largest double bed in commercial aviation.
- Business class gains sliding privacy doors for the first time on the airline, alongside a fully flat bed.
- Lee said A350 seat certification delays pushed introduction back by about half a year.
- Executive Traveller editor David Flynn said the business class is a catch-up to competitors rather than a leap ahead.
Singapore Airlines said on November 6 that it will spend more than S$2 billion ($1.6 billion) to upgrade long-haul seats and add larger double-bed suites, unveiling new cabins in all four travel classes. The airline called it the biggest and most comprehensive overhaul in its history, with the new seats due from the second half of 2027.
In first class, center seats convert into what the airline calls the largest double bed in commercial aviation. Business class gets sliding privacy doors for the first time on the airline, alongside a fully flat bed. The program covers 72 aircraft, a mix of Airbus A350-900s being retrofitted and Boeing 777-9 jets on order that together will make up the majority of its long-haul fleet.
The cabins were originally designed for the 777-9, which is expected to become the airline's new long-haul flagship as the A380, which offers smaller double beds, eventually retires. Chief Commercial Officer Lee Lik Hsin told Reuters that the 777-9's years-long service entry slippage led the carrier to widen the program to its A350s.
Lee said the S$2 billion-plus investment included a S$1.1 billion A350 refurbishment plan announced in 2024 and was funded from a cash balance of S$9.1 billion as of end-June. Most of the spending goes to premium cabins because business and first-class seats cost far more per unit than economy seats, he said, adding the carrier has set no spending ceiling.
Yeoh Phee Teik, senior vice president customer experience, said at a briefing on Wednesday that the investment "underpins our long-standing commitment to continually raise the bar of premium air travel." Lee said: "Our competitive advantage doesn't derive from aircraft cabin product alone."
Lee said slippage on the A350 refurbishment and the 777-9 seating was driven by certification issues. "The seats are certified on the 777-9, but the 777-9 aeroplane itself is not certified, and the seats have not yet been certified on the A350," he said, adding the A350 delay pushed introduction back by about half a year.
David Flynn, editor-in-chief of industry publication Executive Traveller, said the new first class ranked among the world's best. He said business class "represent a solid and much-needed catch up to the competition, rather than a mighty leap ahead."