Singapore Airlines unveils new narrowbody cabin experience
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has launched new cabin products, which will be rolled out on its narrowbody Boeing 737-8 fleet in the coming weeks, as the carrier replicates the onboard experience with that of its widebody fleet.
Singapore Airlines has invested around S$230 million on the development, design, and installation of the new industry-leading cabin products, which elevate the standard for short- and medium-haul travel on board narrowbody aircraft.
Lee Lik Hsin, Executive Vice President Commercial, Singapore Airlines said: “This is the culmination of three years of innovation and hard work, involving extensive customer research and close partnerships with designers and suppliers. As a result, we can now offer customers a premium travel experience across our entire full-service network, no matter how long or short their journey.
All of SIA’s 737-8 aircraft will have 154 seats in two classes, 10 in business class and 144 in economy class, with new cabin products featuring bespoke elements that have been designed especially for the SIA customer.
Designed by London-based Factorydesign and manufactured for Singapore Airlines by Thompson Aero Seating, the business class seats are arranged in a forward-facing staggered 2-2, 1-1, 2-2 abreast configuration. AIM Altitude has provided the accompanying front row monuments.
Measuring up to 22 inches in width, the business class seat reclines directly into a comfortable full-flat bed (76 inches). These seats are made with premium materials with bespoke embroidery in custom patterns and textures. The seat cushions and covers use the same soft furnishings as those found on SIA’s medium-haul aircraft, providing a higher level of comfort for short-haul flights.
The business class seat is designed to wrap smoothly in a cocoon-like formation around the customer, which enlarges personal space and provides better privacy. A divider between the adjacent seats provides a new stowage area for personal items, as well as the bi-fold meal table. Other features include USB charging ports and in-seat power supply, a reading light with adjustable brightness, mood lighting, and a pocket under the monitor that provides easy stowage during taxi, take-off and landing.
The two standalone business class seats (seats 12B and 12J) have additional table-top and stowage spaces, and a side stowage compartment equipped with a mirror and LED light.
Andy Morris, VP Commercial at AVIC Cabin Systems, said: “We are really proud of the look and feel of the seating we have produced for Singapore Airlines. The design and layout of the seats makes the single-aisle Boeing 737-8 feel spacious, and the colour scheme, materials, and optional extras selected by Singapore Airlines have given an extra touch of luxury. The Vantage is such a versatile seat, with many optional features and customisation opportunities, it perfectly complements our VantageSOLO offering.”
The economy class seat, built by Collins Aerospace, offers improved space and comfort with its sleek slim-line design. The latest generation seat model in its class, the seat comes with a contoured backrest for better support and four-way adjustable headrest with foldable wings.
Singapore Airlines has selected Panasonic Avionics’ eX1 IFE solution for its new fleet. The system features full-HD seatback monitors in both the Business Class and Economy Class, complete with capacitive touch screen displays and USB charging ports. Each Business Class seat’s IFE comes with an additional handset and in-seat power outlets.
Singapore Airlines has also selected global in-flight connectivity services from Panasonic Avionics which can deliver average speeds up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to the aircraft, with peak speeds reaching 200 Mbps and higher. The airline’s in-flight connectivity experience, powered by Panasonic Avionics’ global network of high-speed, high-bandwidth satellites will deliver a host of next-generation connectivity benefits, including fast internet and in-flight mobile phone services. This will enable the airline to meet the growing connectivity demand of travellers today and into the future.
The passenger experience made possible by these IFEC solutions also includes the company’s immersive 3D in-flight map platform, ArcTM. This visually stunning, in-flight map experience brings a wide range of innovations to the traditional map application, helping to increase overall customer engagement and loyalty made possible through a fully integrated IFE and connectivity system. The agreement with Singapore Airlines represents the first launch of Panasonic Avionics’ Arc map platform on the 737-8 platform.
“This significant investment demonstrates Singapore Airlines’ commitment to maintaining our leadership position in the airline industry. As air travel recovers, our customers can continue to enjoy world-class products and award-winning service across our fleets.”
SIA’s 737-8 aircraft will progressively enter into service on short- to medium-haul flights across the Airline’s network in the coming weeks.