Singapore Airlines will unveil its next-generation long-haul cabin products in 2026, as part of a S$1.1 billion retrofit of 41 Airbus A350-900LH and A350-900ULR aircraft. The airline had originally intended to debut these seats on the Boeing 777-9, until a never-ending series of delays (seven years and counting!) forced it to reconsider its options.
But that’s not all. In an update to investors earlier this week, SIA also announced that an “all-new travel experience” would accompany the launch of the new cabin products.
This will feature enhancements to various aspects of the soft product, such as inflight entertainment, food and beverage, amenity kits, and serviceware, but perhaps the most exciting of all is the introduction of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet, which promises a quantum leap in connection speeds.
LEO satellite internet coming to Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines has announced that it will adopt LEO satellite connectivity to further enhance the inflight Wi-Fi experience.
While Starlink isn’t mentioned explicitly — and indeed there are competing LEO networks such as Amazon Leo (formerly known as Project Kuiper) — it’s certainly the most logical choice. Starlink has already made huge inroads into commercial aviation, with Air France, British Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways and United Airlines just some of the carriers which have signed up or deployed the technology across their fleets.
In fact, a member of the MileLion community reported seeing Starlink SSIDs on a recent flight to Amsterdam, so that’s what I’m putting my money on!
I cannot overstate how big an upgrade LEO satellite connectivity would be. Singapore Airlines’ current internet setup relies on Inmarsat’s geostationary (GEO) satellites, which orbit the planet at more than 35,000 km. Given that the average aircraft cruises at around 10km, you can imagine what the disparity does to signal quality and bandwidth.Â
In contrast, LEO satellites orbit at around 550km, vastly reducing the latency (round-trip data time between user and satellite). To put it another way, LEO is like talking to someone across the room. GEO is like shouting to someone on a faraway mountain!
| Â | LEO Satellites | GEO Satellites |
| Orbit Altitude | 160-2,000 km | ~35,000 km+ |
| Latency | 20-40 ms | ~600 ms+ |
| Connection Speed | Faster | Slower |
| Coverage Area | Smaller | Larger |
| Applications | Real-time communications, IoT, remote sensing | Broadcasting, weather monitoring |
LEO would make inflight internet as fast as your broadband connection at home, allowing you to stream Netflix or YouTube in high definition, play bandwidth-intensive multiplayer games, or even take Teams or Zoom calls (though that’s going to open up a whole other can of worms…).
The other big advantage that LEO offers is that Wi-Fi would be available at every point of the journey, whether you’re taxiing on the runway, or whether you’ve just landed. If you’re in the midst of a very important work call (hopefully as a participant and not a speaker), then there’s no longer an excuse to drop off.
Starlink claims that installations take just 10-14 days, which means we could potentially see this rolled out very quickly without even having to wait for heavy maintenance windows.Â
Next-generation long-haul cabin products
As previously announced, Singapore Airlines will first debut its next-generation Business Class seat on its Airbus A350-900LH fleet. The first retrofit is expected to be completed by Q2 2026, and Sydney/London are joint favourites for the launch route.Â
While details are scarce at the moment, the teaser renders confirm that doors will finally be added– and not a moment too soon. These have become table stakes for next-generation Business Class seats, and even Malaysia Airlines has beaten SIA to the punch here! We should also expect an all-forward seating, staggered configuration that allows passengers to sleep parallel to the aisle instead of at an angle.
It’s safe to say that 4K screens, USB-C and wireless charging, and Bluetooth audio connectivity will be standard features too.
Singapore Airlines all-new Business Class: What the teasers tell us
The next-generation First Class is a little further away, since it’s being retrofitted on the Airbus A350-900ULR, and those refits will only roll off the line from Q1 2027 onwards.
SIA has revealed even less about the new First Class, but a leaked patent filing shows plans for a six-seater cabin, at least when it finally comes to the Boeing 777-9.
Is this Singapore Airlines’ next-generation First Class seat?
Each completely enclosed suite will have a separate seat and bed, though like the first-generation Suites, you won’t be able to use them together at the same time. A double suite will allow two travellers to enjoy the experience together, with a divider which can be fully stowed to create a true double bed without a painful divider in the middle.
All-new KrisWorld inflight entertainment experience
Singapore Airlines is promising an all-new KrisWorld inflight entertainment experience, which is long overdue given the last major overhaul was in 2013.
Complementing the cabin products, the next version of SIA’s KrisWorld in-flight entertainment (IFE) system will offer greater personalisation and an extensive range of lifestyle options across all cabin classes. First Class and Business Class seats will also feature new in-flight entertainment screens.
-Singapore Airlines
I would expect a fully-redesigned UX, and hopefully the kind of content that can make good use of the 4K screens. There’s no point having 4K screens and low bitrate content!
I’m also hoping we’ll see a wider selection of live TV channels; I do have fond memories of watching DIRECTV on domestic flights in the US, which offered hundreds of options covering all the major sports, entertainment, news and business networks.
More than screens: A history of SIA’s inflight entertainment
Enhanced food & beverage offerings
When I saw this, the first thing that popped into my mind was: Business Class caviar.
If you recall, back in August we saw a tender pop up on the SIA eProcurement Portal seeking quotes for the “Supply of Farmed Caviar for Business Class”.Â
While caviar outside the First Class cabin is rare, it wouldn’t be unprecedented. Qatar Airways and THAI Airways both offer caviar service in Business Class, and even United Airlines in their upcoming “Business plus” Polaris Studio product.Â
If Singapore Airlines does bring caviar to Business Class, it will likely be served in smaller portions, and be of a lower grade compared to First Class. Rather than being presented as a standalone course, it may instead be used as a garnish for appetisers, similar to how it is served on shorter First Class routes like Jakarta.
Still, it’d be a lovely little treat to offer, and would give Singapore Airlines Business Class a bit of a halo effect, having lost much ground rivals like Cathay and Qatar Airways, because of repeated delays to their next-generation cabin products.Â
For all the fishy details, refer to the post below.
Of course, there’s more to life than caviar (really), and I would also want to see upgrades to the snack menu. This has long been an Achilles heel for SIA, with the bulk of options consisting of instant noodles and heavily-processed junk food.
I’m not asking for Emirates-level stuff (beef sliders, prawn cocktails, lobster salad), but at the very least, the snack menu should be a better reflection of Singapore’s proud food heritage. On ANA, passengers can enjoy izakaya-style sake accompaniments, Ippudo ramen, curry rice bowls, and distinctly Japanese tidbits. On SIA, the snack basket could have been plucked from any convenience store around the world. It’s just not good enough.Â
New amenity kits
Singapore Airlines currently offers amenity kits in First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy Class, and the latter two are fairly new. In 2024, the airline swapped Penhaligon’s for Le Labo in Business Class, and added an Out of the Woods paper-based amenity kit in Premium Economy.
| Cabin | Provider |
 Suites & First Class |
Lalique |
 Business Class |
Le Labo |
 Premium Economy Class |
Out of the Woods |
Therefore, I was a little surprised to read that the airline had plans for new amenity kits already. My guess is that they’re planning something new for Suites and First Class, since the existing Lalique kits have been around since 2017.
Updated soft furnishings and serviceware
We’ve seen many airlines partner up with premium brands to offer fancy bedding for their customers: United Polaris with Saks Fifth Avenue, Etihad with Armani/Casa, Japan Airlines with airweave, Cathay Pacific with Bamford etc.
Hopefully, Singapore Airlines will join that number when it updates its soft furnishings and serviceware. I’m not particularly a fan of the existing Business Class bedding (especially on the A380, where it’s rock hard), and the duvets aren’t particularly plush either.Â
I also think there’s a decent chance we might see the introduction of a sleeper suit in Business Class. SIA has been historically resistant to the idea, though with more and more airlines offering it, they might be forced to do likewise.Â
As for serviceware, let’s just hope this update goes better than the previous one!Â
Conclusion
Singapore Airlines has teased some exciting enhancements for 2026, chief of which is the installation of Low Earth Orbit satellite connectivity. This should mean vastly improved internet speeds, making streaming, gaming and video conferencing a reality.
In addition to this, passengers can expect an enhanced soft product experience when the next-generation long-haul cabin products are launched, and I’ve got my money on Business Class caviar and improved bedding, among other creature comforts.
What else do you think we’ll see from the “all-new travel experience?”
Qantas, are you paying attention?
Well, the project sunrise aircraft looks pretty sweet…if they actually have that exercise bike on board
Why would airlines want to pay attention to a laggard? Many of the “innovations” SQ is purportedly introducing are already years old staples at the true airline innovators.
Oh great, your neighbours can now make WhatsApp calls about nothing like on the MRT. I was on a Turkish business class flight and the person behind me was already doing that!
I would hope that they’d continue to block voice call functionality!
I hope so too, but to be honest, my pet peeve is with speaker function on, not the source of audio. A movie with a speaker is worst than a phone call. Although technically, we are more irritated by listening to a one sided conversation, as our brain is trying to find out what the other -silent- person is saying, thus not allowing us to tune it out, as say would be the case with a live conversation.
I mean, just the potential shrinking of civility in communal space is more the problem. This may have me running screaming from economy even faster than I already am!
they’ll finally get rid of the hot food takeaway boxes in regional economy!
I recently flew First and the mattress padding makes a lot of difference, as otherwise the seat is very similar. Could it be that SQ doesn’t offer such a plush addition to A) differenciate from First and B) because the volume of the textiles would not fit in the current cabin configuration? I recently flew Latam 777 and I saw how they have a rolled up duo of duvet and mattress directly at the seat, which thus doesn’t need stowage.
Hi Aaron, what happened to spontaneous escapes for December? has it been discontinued?
Any idea why aren’t there any updates on spontaneous escapes for December 2025?