SIA delays roll-out of new first, business class seats on A350 fleet to 2027
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
SIA will introduce its next-generation first- and business-class seats in its A350 aircraft from the first quarter of 2027.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
- Singapore Airlines' (SIA) new first and business class seats in A350s are delayed from Q2 2026 to Q1 2027 due to supply chain issues and certification delays.
- SIA is undertaking a $1.1 billion upgrade for 41 Airbus A350s, installing new seats with privacy doors.
- The upgrade revises cabin layouts on 41 A350s, including adding first class to ultra-long-range jets and increasing economy seats on long-haul aircraft.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Singapore Airlines (SIA) will introduce its next-generation first- and business-class seats on its Airbus A350-900 fleet in the first quarter of 2027, instead of the second quarter of 2026.
This is because of industry-wide supply chain constraints and a delay in the certification of one of the new seats, an SIA spokesperson said on May 5 in response to queries from The Straits Times.
The upgraded seats are part of a $1.1 billion multi-year upgrade to the cabins of 41 Airbus A350 aircraft. The makeover covers all cabin classes and will be done in Singapore by SIA Engineering.
When announcing the plans in November 2024, SIA said the work on the fleet of 41 aircraft was expected to take six years and would be completed by the end of 2030.
The first A350-900 long-haul aircraft with the upgraded cabin was expected to enter service in the second quarter of 2026, followed by the A350-900 ultra-long-range version in 2027.
SIA has not shown what the refreshed cabin classes would look like, but said the new long-haul first- and business-class seats will have “a spacious layout and ergonomic elements”.
A teaser image of its new business-class product in 2024 showed that the new seats will feature privacy doors, similar to Qatar Airways’ Qsuite.
The revamp involves changing the configuration of 34 A350-900 long-haul aircraft to have 42 business-class seats, 24 premium economy seats and 192 economy-class seats – five more economy seats than in the current layout.
As for the seven A350-900 ultra-long-range jets, they will get new premium economy and business cabins, along with first-class seats, which are currently not available on this aircraft type.
Post-upgrade, the aircraft will have four first-class seats, 70 business-class seats and 58 premium economy seats. This is three more business-class seats and 36 fewer premium economy seats than the current arrangement.
SIA, the spokesperson added, will unveil its improved travel offerings later in 2026. These include the new long-haul first-class, business-class, premium economy and economy-class products, an enhanced dining experience, and the next-generation KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system.
