Major airline to spend over $800M to upgrade cabins of long-haul aircraft

Singapore Airlines announced on Monday that its long-haul and ultra-long-haul Airbus A350-900 planes will undergo an interior makeover. 

The newly announced retrofitting initiative meant to "redefine the premium travel experience" on the aircraft is expected to be totally done by the end of 2030, the company said. 

Under the initiative, Singapore Airlines will bring updated business class seats and "refreshed" premium economy and economy cabins to its 41 A350-900 planes, with its A350-900ULR aircraft also slated to get a first class cabin.

With the planned retrofit, the configurations of the 41 jetliners will change. For the long-haul planes, that will mean 42 business class, 24 premium economy and 192 economy seats, Singapore Airlines said. Four first class, 70 business and 58 premium economy seats will be offered on the retrofitted seven ultra-long-haul aircraft. 

DELTA PLANS TO REVAMP INTERIOR DESIGN OF ITS PLANES

The cabin makeover for long-haul and ultra-long-haul jetliners will cost more than $834 million total, the airline said. CEO Goh Choon Phong said the initiative came after the carrier "extensively engaged customers and stakeholders in the design of our next-generation long-haul cabin products" over six years.

Singapore Airlines said the first-class cabins on the seven ultra-long-haul planes will feature "plush" seats and a "spacious layout."

The new business class seats that the Singapore Airlines A350-900 planes are slated to get have "innovative designs that will offer even greater levels of privacy, comfort, and convenience," the airline said. They will also offer more room to passengers.

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The airline is also aiming to "enhance the travel experience" for premium economy and economy in the redesign, according to the company.

Singapore Airlines plans for the new cabin designs to appear on the first retrofitted A350-900 long-haul plane in the second quarter of 2026. The debut of the first redesigned ultra-long-haul will occur in the first quarter of 2027. 

WORLD'S BEST AIRLINES IN 2024 RANKED

Earlier in the year, Singapore Airlines was named 2024’s second-best airline in the world by Skytrax. It also received top marks among Asian airlines and for its first class and cabin staff, according to Skytrax.