Singapore Airlines Unveils New Cabins Across 72 Aircraft in $1.6 Billion Overhaul

Singapore Airlines will spend more than S$2 billion ($1.6 billion) to install new cabins in all four travel classes across 72 aircraft, with the seats due from the second half of 2027. The airline unveiled the cabins on Friday, Devdiscourse reported.

Singapore Airlines' Four-Class Cabin Redesign

The programme covers a mix of Airbus A350-900s being retrofitted and Boeing 777-9 jets on order, which together will make up the majority of the carrier's long-haul fleet. In first class, centre seats convert into what Singapore Airlines 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 cabins were originally designed for the 777-9, expected to become the airline's new long-haul flagship as the A380 retires. Chief Commercial Officer Lee Lik Hsin told Reuters that years of slippage in the 777-9's entry into service led the carrier to widen the programme to its A350s. The S$2 billion-plus investment includes a S$1.1 billion A350 refurbishment plan announced in 2024 and is funded from a cash balance of S$9.1 billion as of end-June, Lee said.

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. It is the hard product, the soft service, the operational excellence. And...it is our people."

Boeing first targeted 777-9 deliveries around 2020, but certification setbacks, engine issues, the pandemic and tighter FAA oversight pushed that to 2027, with Lufthansa expected to be the launch operator. Lee said the seats are certified on the 777-9 but the aircraft itself is not, and the seats have not yet been certified on the A350, which pushed their introduction back by about half a year.

Singapore Airlines' Funding and Fleet Scale

According to akta.pro company records, Singapore Airlines issued a 1.5 billion yuan (S$286.4 million) five-year dim sum bond at 2.38% in June 2026 under its S$10 billion multi-currency medium-term note programme to fund aircraft purchases and refinance existing debt. The same records show record annual revenue of S$20.5 billion for FY2024/2025, with operating profit up 39% to S$2.37 billion, and 42.2 million passengers carried, up 7.7% year on year.

Earlier Moves in Singapore Airlines' Expansion

In October 2026, Singapore Airlines launched a five-times-weekly Madrid service via Barcelona, adding a 15th European destination and re-entering Spain after a 22-year absence, according to akta.pro company records. In June 2026, the carrier signed an interline agreement with Southwest Airlines, gaining single-ticket access to nearly 120 US domestic destinations via Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco gateways, the same records show.

When the New Cabins Arrive

Singapore Airlines has said the new seats are due from the second half of 2027.