Singapore Airlines unveiled new long-haul cabins on Friday in a programme costing more than S$2 billion ($1.6 billion), covering 72 aircraft, its Airbus A350-900s being retrofitted and the Boeing 777-9 jets it has on order, which together make up most of its long-haul fleet. First class centre seats convert into what the airline calls the largest double bed in commercial aviation, and business class gets sliding privacy doors for the first time on the airline. The total includes a S$1.1 billion A350 refurbishment plan announced in 2024, and the airline said the spending comes from its cash balance of S$9.1 billion at the end of June.
Chief Commercial Officer Lee Lik Hsin told Reuters the 777-9’s slippage had led the carrier to widen the programme to its A350s; the seats are certified on the 777-9, but that aircraft is not yet certified and the seats are not yet certified on the A350, which pushed the introduction back by about half a year. New seats are due from the second half of 2027.