Singapore Airlines to Introduce Redesigned A350 Business-Class Seats in 2027
Singapore Airlines will begin introducing redesigned business- and first-class seats on its A350 long-haul aircraft in mid-2027, as part of an investment of more than S$2 billion in cabin upgrades. The business-class seats will include 22-inch 4K screens, wireless charging and Bluetooth audio connectivity.
Singapore Airlines will begin introducing redesigned business-class seats on its A350 long-haul aircraft in mid-2027, with 22-inch 4K screens, wireless charging and Bluetooth audio connectivity, the airline said.
The retrofit is part of an investment of more than S$2 billion in new seats and cabin features across 72 aircraft. The airline said the program is its largest cabin-upgrade investment to date.
The new business- and first-class products will debut on the A350 long-haul and ultra-long-range variants, then also feature on Boeing 777-9 aircraft when they enter service.
Singapore Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Lee Lik Hsin said the redesign followed focus groups, interviews and surveys indicating that premium travelers wanted to sit closer together. Business-class cabins already had seats for couples, but the new layout is designed to bring travelers closer, he said.
The investment allocates $1.1 billion to retrofitting 34 existing A350-900 long-haul aircraft with new business-class seats and seven A350-900 ultra-long-range aircraft with new first-class seats.
The airline said the retrofitted A350 aircraft are expected to enter service from the second half of 2027, later than its original target of the first quarter of that year. The upgraded seats for the A350 fleet are awaiting certification.
Lee said the timetable for completing the upgrades across the existing A350 fleet should remain broadly similar, as it depends on certification rather than operational capability.
The new first-class cabins will feature 32-inch 4K screens and noise-cancelling headphones from Bang and Olufsen. Passengers will be able to book double-bed and face-to-face dining configurations.
“In first class, we've created a living room space for two people,” Lee said. “We designed a sofa, rather than another seat ... where people can lounge around completely in each other's company.”
The cabin investment also covers new premium-economy and economy seats, but those seats will be fitted only on the new 777-9 aircraft. The planes will have 204 economy seats in a 3-4-3 layout, each 17.6 inches wide.
Premium-economy seat pitch will increase from 38 to 40 inches, while the recline will grow from 8 to 9 inches. The cabin will retain 36 seats in a 2-4-2 layout.
The 777-9 delivery schedule has been delayed, with the aircraft expected in 2027 at the earliest. Singapore Airlines said the new seat designs for that fleet have cleared certification.
