In November 2024, Singapore Airlines announced a S$1.1 billion retrofit programme for 41 of its Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which would introduce brand-new seats across all four cabins, including its highly anticipated next-generation First and Business Class.
These products have been a long time coming. If not for the endless dysfunction at Boeing — and COVID, to be fair — we would have seen them debut in 2021, on the first of SIA’s 31 Boeing 777-9s. But with these aircraft now delayed until at least 2027, and likely even beyond, given SIA’s position in the delivery queue, the airline decided that waiting was no longer an option.
During the announcement, SIA provided the following timeline:
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“The first retrofitted A350-900 long-haul aircraft is expected to enter service in the second quarter of 2026, while the first A350-900ULR variant will follow in the first quarter of 2027. The entire programme is targeted for completion by the end of 2030.” -Singapore Airlines |
However, we’re now well into Q2 2026. If the retrofitted aircraft were to enter service this quarter, an announcement would almost certainly have been made by this point.
So I reached out to SIA for an update, and unfortunately, it’s bad news: we won’t be seeing the first retrofitted Airbus A350-900 this year after all.
Singapore Airlines new cabin products delayed until Q1 2027
Singapore Airlines has confirmed via a spokesperson that its first retrofitted Airbus A350-900LH aircraft is only expected to enter service in Q1 2027.
-Singapore Airlines |
Actually, this delay was already hinted at in yesterday’s Starlink announcement, where SIA pegged Q1 2027 as the entry-into-service date for the first Starlink-equipped aircraft.
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“Singapore Airlines (SIA) customers will enjoy an enhanced in-flight Wi-Fi experience from the first quarter of 2027, with the progressive introduction of Starlink’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite‑based broadband service on board SIA’s Airbus A350-900 long-haul (LH), A350-900 ultra-long-range (ULR), and A380 aircraft.” -Singapore Airlines |
If SIA plans to perform the Starlink installations while aircraft are being retrofitted with the new cabin products — and given the projected completion date of end-2029, that certainly appears to be the case — then it follows that the first retrofitted aircraft will only be ready in early 2027 at the earliest.
SIA will unveil its enhanced travel experience later in 2026, which will feature an elevated dining experience, the next-generation KrisWorld inflight entertainment system, and new inflight soft furnishings and amenities. I previously wrote about some of the things we might expect to see, such as caviar service in Business Class, and perhaps a branded tie-up for bedding.
Singapore Airlines teases “all-new travel experience” for 2026
For context, SIA’s original plan was to refit a total of 41 A350-900 aircraft (34 A350-900LHs and 7 A350-900ULRs) by 2030, so naturally that timeline will be pushed back too.
What’s behind the delays?
Singapore Airlines attributes the delay to industry-wide supply chain constraints, and certification issues with one of the new seats (the new First Class suite, perhaps?), and it’s no secret that these issues have blighted the aviation industry for some time now.
The key issue is that modern premium cabins are no longer just seats. They’re highly complex “mini smart rooms” with doors, moving parts, screens, power systems, integrated electronics and custom finishes.
That’s not to mention the globalised parts dependency, as chips, motors, textiles and electronics may be sourced from different countries (there’s a fascinating statistic in this Reuters piece which quotes 3,000 parts from 50 suppliers in 15 countries). All it takes is a trade dispute here — or, in our current bizarro universe, a social media post there — to gum up the works, and if even one supplier falls behind, the entire process can be delayed.
Compounding the issue is the fact that seat makers lost a lot of production capacity during COVID, and have been slow to recover it. In 2025, French seat manufacturer Safran delivered 2,600 Business Class seats, a mere 150 increase from the year before, noting that “the seat certification process, particularly for Business Class, has become significantly more complex and demanding in recent years due to innovation and the tightening of regulatory requirements.”
To put those numbers into perspective, Japan Airlines installs a total of 54 Safran Unity seats on its Airbus A350-1000. That means Safran’s entire annual output would equip fewer than 50 aircraft!
Moreover, regulatory bodies like the FAA and EASA have implemented new aircraft seat regulations, and have begun taking a firmer stance towards interpreting some existing regulations as well. There is also a shortage of engineers required to perform the certification work- possibly as few as 200 worldwide, if you believe this report.
The end result is that airframe delivery can run ahead of cabin suppliers (though not in the case of the Boeing 777-9!). Lufthansa, for example, had to park two brand-new A350-900s at Teruel Airport because their seats weren’t ready, while Iberia took delivery of A350-900s with the front Business Class section temporarily filled with placeholder Economy seats.
SIA is particularly susceptible to these delays because it doesn’t order off-the-shelf seats for its long-haul Business Class (though it does use the Stelia Aerospace Symphony for its regional product). Instead, it opts for highly customised designs, which make its seats distinctive — but also increases the risk of delays compared to airlines using “catalogue” seats like the popular Collins Aerospace Super Diamond.
Still, it’s a hard pill to swallow. The mainstay Business Class seat of SIA’s long-haul fleet, found on its A350-900LHs and B777-300ERs, dates back to 2013, and while it’s a perfectly decent product, it’s fallen way behind the competition.
The seat is a throwback to the pre-suite era, lacking privacy doors, mood lighting, or the adjustable social configurations offered by rivals. Its tech is a few generations out of date, with no Bluetooth audio connectivity, wireless charging, or USB-C ports. And while its 18-inch HD screen may have been considered impressive for its day, it looks decidedly archaic compared to the 4K screens that rivals are introducing— even in Economy Class.
Perhaps the biggest giveaway is the 9-pin iPod connector. This feature was big news when it debuted in 2008, but today just spotlights the seat’s vintage!
You will find a slightly better seat on the A380, which offers a much better social experience thanks to the positioning of the middle seats and the possibility of converting selected seats into a double bed.
However, with just 12 such aircraft in the fleet, it’s far less common than the 2013 Business Class seat (found on 56 A350-900LHs and Boeing 777-300ERs). Moreover, as this seat dates back to 2017, it also doesn’t have doors or any of the modern technological flourishes you’d expect from a Business Class seat today.
The additional delay means that 14 years will have passed between SIA’s long-haul Business Class seat generations, the longest-ever in memory (it’s debatable whether you want to count the 2017 Business Class seat, given that they only exist on a handful of aircraft, but even if you do, it’s still a 10-year gap).
| Singapore Airlines Long-Haul Business Class Seats |
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| Cabin Product | Debut Route | Debut Date |
 2002 SpacebedB747-400 |
🇬🇧 London |
31 May 2002 |
 2006 Business ClassB777-300ER |
🇫🇷 Paris (SQ334/333) |
5 Dec 2006 |
 2013 Business ClassB777-300ER |
🇬🇧 London (SQ318/319) |
27 Sep 2013 |
 2017 Business Class A380-800 |
🇦🇺 Sydney (SQ221/232) |
18 Dec 2017 |
It’s gotten to the point where competitors have introduced and replaced their Business Class seats within the lifespan of SIA’s current Business Class seat.
Qatar Airways introduced its revolutionary Qsuites in 2017, and will be launching its replacement Qsuite 2.0 later in 2026 on the A350-1000.
United Airlines launched Polaris in 2016, and has already started flying its next-generation Polaris Suites — on the San Francisco to Singapore route no less!
What can we expect from the new First and Business Class?
First Class
SIA has been very enthusiastic about its new First Class, with CEO Goh Choon Phong describing it as a “quantum leap” from today’s seats, and something that “will again set industry standards” when launched.
Its teaser for the new First Class reveals very little beyond three windows and French doors, but a leaked patent filing has some very interesting insights.
- Six First Class suites, with four window seats and two centre seats
- Two centre seats can be combined into a double suite, with a privacy partition that fully retracts sideways (not downwards)
- Each suite has a separate seat and bed, though the seat must be stowed to make way for the bed (similar to the first generation Suites)
- Each suite will have an ottoman for couple dining, with a secondary seatbelt
- Suites will be fully enclosed, with curved walls to create additional space in the compartments
It’s important to remember that the patent filing relates to the proposed layout for the Boeing 777-9, and not the four-seat First Class cabin on the Airbus A350-900ULR. However, the two will likely have very similar DNA, so the rest of the features should be largely identical.
Business Class
SIA’s teaser for the new Business Class shows substantially more of the seat, from which we can confirm a few things:
- The seat bears a striking resemblance to the Safran Unity (also in use by Japan Airlines on its A350-1000)
- The seat will have a privacy door
- Seats will be staggered in a 1-2-1, all-forward-facing configuration, with some passengers closer to the aisle and others closer to the window
- Passengers will sleep parallel to the aisle, instead of at an angle as with the existing 2013 Business Class seat
- Seats will recline to full-flat beds, with no flipping necessary
As with First Class, passengers should expect features like 4K screens, wireless charging, USB-C ports, and Bluetooth audio connectivity.
Singapore Airlines all-new Business Class: What the teasers tell us
Conclusion
Singapore Airlines’ latest cabin products will not be making a debut this year, with supply chain delays and certification issues pushing their introduction into 2027.
It’s a setback for the airline, that’s for sure. Many of its key competitors already offer modern Business Class suites, making SIA’s flagship Business Class look dated by comparison. And given that its “next generation” seat was designed in the mid-2010s for an early-2020s rollout, there are legitimate concerns about whether it will still feel cutting-edge by the time it finally enters service.
I’m really hoping that SIA will defy the odds and unveil some truly spectacular cabin products, but whatever they are, we’ll need to wait a little longer to see them.
great work as always Aaron, despite the (sad) news. I read on SQtalk recently that someone tracked a A350-900 to the airport/place where SQ sends their planes to be retrofitted. Would it be possible that said tracking/guess was accurate but still there is a delay?
pure speculation on my part, but I highly doubt any refit has even started yet. it should take maybe 6 weeks to outfit a plane, granted the first will take longer, but there’s no way they’ll take an a359 out of service between now and q1 2027. SIA is soaking up all the demand the ME3 are shedding, they need every plane they can get
very good point, indeed when I talked about what I read of SQtalk, a foreign SQ representative was indeed puzzled, but back then I thought such a poker face in an otherwise good and thus transparent relationship we have, was due to SQ policy. I thus take note my info was wrong.
The branded bedding tie-up will be local vendor Ploh, fyi
You’re kinder to SQ than I am Aaron. The certification of this product should have started in 2019 when the design was locked in. But they were asleep at the wheel as usual and wasted years.
I doubt it’s the First Class as they’d planed to start with the 350LH beforehand and that could continue unaffected.
Yeoh Phee Teik has delivered nothing after almost 10 years in the job. Shameful.
Is it straw grasping to think that maybe they did certify earlier, but with the delay they decided to update some stuff which in turn required recertification? I don’t know how the process works actually.
Given how their competitors managed to do it, SIA is just complacent and too slow.
Agreed.
But SQ does have a captive market.
What to do
captive absolutely, they increased the non-refundable fee of Flexi Business tickets from 200 to 300 USD right bang in the middle of already massive price increases. Mind you, SQ probably, like any other airline, hedges most of the fuel of an entire year.
SQ is like the Apple of the Airline industry, it’s depending on its brand to sell not its features
That is terribly insulting to Apple. Apple has fantastic service and when something goes wrong, they’re very generous with fixing it, within warranty of course. With Singapore Airlines it’s endless emails and calls over months before you get anywhere with trying to resolve an injustice. And I used to be PPS then Gold so it’s not just a “common man” thing. Switched to AF and never looked back.
whilst I agree that SQ can have situations where the customer service is frustrating and also that as a TPPS I am treated differently, but I can tell you that the customer service of AF, whilst at times efficient and generous, ie. during a disruption, on more complex matters they can be downright rude and unforgiving.
AF: Is this with Plat or above status?
Sad news. I would argue that the current seat essentially started in 2006. So it’s 20 years old by now. For me the 2017 seat is more of a difference to the 2013 than the 2013 is to the 2006.
Thanks for update!
Confirm plus Chop then?
So they inreased the required miles for nothing? Some LH A350 only have Access available after they announced the upcoming next-gen cabins
As TPPS member for 10 years, I feltSIA’s business and first class products are solid— the privacy doors are a nice to have. I don’t mind the cabin refit being delayed, but they really need to roll out Starlink sooner. The current onboard wifi is painful — slow and constantly dropping connection. It makes daytime flights to Japan, Australia, or China unbearable when I’m not sleeping. It’s disappointing that the Starlink rollout is being held up by the cabin refit delay. I guess business is just too good this year, especially with the ME3 essentially ceding the market to them.
Starlink late…
Seat upgrade late…
Its current seat is way too behind all the global competitors
Is SQ being too complacent and comfortable due to its loyal following and brand? I hope not
[…] there’s some bad news on that front, as reported by Mainly Miles. Singapore Airlines has now revealed that the first retrofitted aircraft isn’t expected to […]
Compare to LH allegris SQ is doing just fine …
want to compare should compare to ANA, Cathay, Qatar
by those standards, they are doing badly
The really issue is that SQ took too long roll out a new product and the 2017J is limited and won’t really count at a time when QR release QSuites. As for CX, they actually held on to their prev J product for quite long and perhaps even long than SQ until ARIA came out (I know in between there was some updates but its super minor) so CX to me on the same level as SQ. 2013J is an upgrade of the 2006 so its not revolutionary but the width space available compared others (less the door) is much… Read more »
The difference is that LH has actually now delivered Allegris and has a handful of aircraft flying with. SQ still hasn’t, and may not.
7 years vs 7 months. I don’t fret yet. At this stage until sq delays by over 2 years I still give them credit over LH (LH only vs others SQ is weak on new roll out I admit). Let’s see how this plays out.
TBH im more interested in Air India’s upcoming seats on the A350-1000 whic also got severelt affected by the supply chain issues and had to quit Safran Unity platform with rumors going on that now its most like gonna be Recaro R7 Horizon seats
what do u think about the seat
There’s absolutely nothing “to be fair” about to Singapore Airlines. They’re as always putting profits over passengers, and didn’t want to move forward with their plans with existing older aircrafts so they can milk these seats for another decade+ or two. They’re can do that because they know what suckers in this country swear by the bare minimum of long-haul flying. Heck, even their ground experience by way of lounges is also terrible. While other airlines spend hundreds of millions and create wonderful spaces, they’re not even the best in their own home base. Absolutely the worst of the premium… Read more »
I fully agree. I like the First T2 lounge now managed by Accor a lot better, but it is still puzzling than Qatar/Qantas lounges are better than the Private Room in many aspects.
You are totally right on your analysis.
When you have a die hard loyal following and constantly booked out , why should they from a pure business perspective spend money to upgrade the seats?
no real financial reason to or real push factor
The problem is people compare to QR, EK and the like, but in the Singaporean market, SQ has one advantage over them for most premium travellers, that is non-stop long flight to Europe vs mid journey layover (often in the middle of the night). As such its competitors for high margin Singapore O/D traffic are more like to be BA, LH, AF etc. It’s Australia-Europe traffic does compete with QR, EK etc, but is almost certainly lower margin than it’s Singapore/SE Asia-Europe O/D traffic. In the other direction (US) the non-stops compete with UA for SFO, less so NH/JL/CX/BR for… Read more »
Assuming you’re talking about J – to CDG, AF’s product is miles better.
To the US, the stop doesn’t really matter as much. The FRA stop on the JFK pretty much equals the ME stop. It’s worth noting that competitors (incl ME3) serves many more destinations – so except the 3 west coast cities, the rest would be a 1-stop on SQ or a competitor anyway.
Doesn’t SQ have non-stops to JFK & EWR? As long as that exists then I’m an SIA customer. I just need a flat bed, clean toilets, bottled water and light bites. Don’t care much about doors or champagne or fancy food or TV or wifi. Just need the fastest flat-bed non-stop commercial flight to be be asleep comfortably for 8 hours. Less flight time and no transit time is always better. Time lost cannot be regained exactly like for like.
Fair enough, but how do you explain the situation with CX then? They also have a captive, high yield O&D market in HKG but yet have still chosen to invest heavily in both the lounge experience (The Wing/Pier First & Biz lounges simply blow SQ out of the water, the SilverKris lounges are laughable in comparison) as well as the onboard product (Aria suite is phenomenal). There simply is no excuse for SQ not to do the same, and as many have already remarked in the comments – a real shame that they have long taken their customers for granted… Read more »
Yet, SQ remain entirely profitable, with an extremely loyal following. Make of that what you will. And I still maintain schedule and frequency constitute a big part of their product, which works well for locals, as well as the KF program. If you’re going to China, Manila, India, Europe, US and Australia to go non-stop on other carriers you’d probably have to split your loyalty. But yes SQ seem to lack creativity or any sort of lateral thinking – way too Singaporean in their attitude and approach, and probably could do with some fresh talent, to shake things up a… Read more »
SQ can indeed improve but my child likes the nasi lemak ikan bilis and nuts and the fried chicken and the hunters chips. I like the soupy prawn noodles and the japanese beef dish with rice and my wife likes the wantan noodles I don’t know why. No lobster thermidor (too much sauce) or overcooked beef for us. The chicken rice was also poor for us so it’s not that we like only the hawker choices. Caviar and 3 choices of champagne is probably nice but if I had to choose I know that those things don’t matter to the… Read more »
I have small children and a family member in a wheelchair. The Wing and the Pier don’t matter to me because they don’t come with a non-stop flight from Singapore. If CX has non-stops from Singapore then they will be the better airline for our family. Till then, unless SQ crashes frequently or has disgusting toilet seats that I have to clean myself or diarrhea-inducing food or something equally catastrophic, we will be travelling SQ non-stop flights. What about non-SQ destinations? Well, we don’t go to those places. There are a lot more people like our family then you might… Read more »
i dont think anyone is denying the fact that SQ has a loyal clientele; so do many of the other airlines stated above in their respective home hubs who also remain profitable (BA/CX/EK/AF/DL et al). The point is what SQ could be doing especially given the above, which they have shown total disregard for. No one is asking you to switch to CX – it was merely an example of an airline which has actively demonstrated that it is possible to continue investing in both the ground and inflight experience if it wants to, especially how like SQ it also… Read more »
Well…
Transfer miles to other program or redeem with slightly higher against partners airlines with better seat and experience. No need die die SQ mah…
This is bad but not disastrous for me except perhaps for the Starlink timeline. As someone who files SQ32/34 at least once a month, 11K continues to be a great option. The space is the differentiator. If the new seats end up feeling like glorified coffins as the grapevine seems to indicate, a door, bigger TV and Bluetooth don’t make up for the claustrophobia. I already borderline hate the medium haul A350s but live with them given the shorter trip duration. Perhaps short and medium haul folks may like the new seats with doors and a bigger TV but I… Read more »
I agree. I dislike SQ’s 787 and 359 business seats for the same reason. So do a few pilots I know – these are folks who only care about comfortable downtime. The old fold down seats were wider and more spacious. Leg room isn’t an issue in the front row. Don’t care about a door, everyone can see me sleep as long as they don’t touch me. Also love to be uncontactable during the flight – so I can sleep. The IFE and F&B are secondary to seat comfort. I barely use the TV and I’m happy with hot instant… Read more »
> short and medium haul folks may like the new seats with doors and a bigger TV
Why a door is necessary for short-haul is the mystery. To me, it’s only useful to block out (a bit of) light and noise when sleeping.
>Nothing on the plane can beat a half-decent restaurant on the ground.
Not today, anyway. In the past, I’ve had meals that would give many current restaurants (even stars, fwiw) a run for their money.
Mostly agree. But for my peasant tastebuds the taste of freshly made al dente bak chor mee or fried kuay teow with wok hei or crispy fluffy freshly made prata beats starry place food most of the time. I think maybe the least SQ could do would be freshly made eggs? Sunny side up with runny yolks, a fresh fluffy chilli padi omelette or even kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs with robusta butter coffee would be great after 8 hours in the air. Maybe something simple and cheap freshly-made instead of microwaving fancier dishes? There must be a reason for… Read more »
[…] Airlines confirmed to MileLion that the entry into service of its next-generation cabin products has been delayed to the first […]