Two leather First Class seats joined into a sofa with orange cushions inside a dimly lit suite

Singapore Airlines New Cabins: Doors, Double Beds and a 2027 Debut

by Connor Kerr | Nov 7, 2026 | Mondo dell'aviazione, Notizia | 0 comments

Two seats slide together, a divider drops away, and the result is a bed 152 centimetres wide at 40,000 feet. Singapore Airlines calls it the largest double bed in the sky, and it is the headline act of the long-haul cabins the airline unveiled in Singapore on 6 November 2026.

The package covers all four classes and costs more than S$2 billion, roughly US$1.5 billion. The new seats will start entering service from the second half of 2027 on 41 refurbished Airbus A350-900s and on the Boeing 777-9s Singapore Airlines has on order, provided the certification paperwork cooperates.

Informazioni rapide

Annunciato: 6 November 2026, Singapore
Investment: More than S$2 billion (about US$1.5 billion)
Entry into service: Progressively from the second half of 2027
Aeromobili: 41 refurbished A350-900s (incl. 7 A350-900ULRs) and the Boeing 777-9 fleet
First Class: Sliding doors; centre pair converts to a 203 x 152 cm double bed
Business Class: Sliding doors; flat bed 79 in (200.7 cm) long, up to 24 in wide
777-9 layout: 300 seats in four classes, according to Aviacionline
777-9 Economy: Ten abreast (3-4-3)

The Singapore Airlines New Cabins, Class by Class

The Singapore Airlines new cabins start at the front with First Class, designed to be what the airline calls a private sanctuary. Each suite has curved sliding doors, and the centre seats can be converted into a two-seat sofa or a double bed measuring 203 by 152 centimetres, about 80 by 60 inches. A 32-inch 4K touchscreen with spatial audio handles the entertainment.

According to Aviacionline, the First Class seat was designed by PriestmanGoode and is built by Collins Aerospace. The same outlet reports seats 23 inches wide, or 30 inches with the armrests lowered, trimmed in Poltrona Frau leather.

Dark grey Business Class seat with a cushion inside an enclosed suite shell — The new Business Class seat, which adds sliding privacy doors and a fully flat bed up to 24 inches wide. Photo: Singapore Airlines

Business Class also gains sliding privacy doors. The fully flat bed is 79 inches (200.7 cm) long and up to 24 inches wide, and selected centre seats can be turned into companion beds once the electrically adjustable dividers are lowered. Aviacionline says BMW Group's Designworks studio styled the seat and RECARO Aircraft Seating builds it, with widths of 24 inches on the 777-9 and 22 inches on the A350.

Ten Abreast in the Back

Premium Economy and Economy are new as well, but they will only appear on the 777-9. Premium Economy offers a 40-inch seat pitch, a four-way adjustable headrest and a leg rest with an adjustable footrest. In Economy, Singapore Airlines highlights wool-blend upholstery, a four-way headrest and a redesigned recline mechanism to free up knee and shin room.

There is a trade-off. Aviacionline reports that the 777-9's Economy cabin will be laid out ten abreast in a 3-4-3 configuration with seats 17.6 inches wide, dropping the nine-abreast layout of the airline's current 777-300ERs. That is the industry standard on the 777X family, but it is a step down from what Singapore Airlines passengers know today.

“Singapore Airlines' next-generation long-haul cabin products will ensure that our customers travel more comfortably than before, and have greater control over their in-flight experience, whether they are working, dining, relaxing, or resting.”

Lee Lik Hsin — Chief Commercial Officer, Singapore Airlines; quoted by AeroTime, 6 November 2026

Each 777-9 will carry 300 seats, according to Aviacionline: six First Class suites, 54 Business Class seats, 36 in Premium Economy and 204 in Economy. The seven A350-900ULRs, which fly the airline's non-stop routes to the United States, will get First Class for the first time, with four suites alongside 70 Business seats.

A Retrofit That Became a Fleet Plan

The programme spans 72 aircraft, Airways Magazine reports, counting the retrofitted A350s and the incoming 777-9s. Chief Commercial Officer Lee Lik Hsin told Reuters that the S$2 billion total includes the S$1.1 billion A350 refurbishment Singapore Airlines announced in 2024.

That 2024 plan was supposed to be well under way by now. When it was announced, the first refurbished long-haul A350 was expected in the second quarter of 2026, the first ULR in the first quarter of 2027, and all 41 aircraft by the end of 2030, according to Airways. The new start window of the second half of 2027 puts the first aircraft more than a year behind that original target.

Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 with landing gear down flying over Los Angeles hills with the Hollywood sign — Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR 9V-SGF arriving at Los Angeles in 2019. The seven ULRs will gain First Class for the first time. Photo: Glenn Beltz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

The reason is certification on two fronts. Lee told Reuters that the seats are certified for the 777-9 but still await approval for the A350, while the 777-9 itself remains uncertified. Boeing said in its 27 October results that certification flight testing was continuing, with first delivery expected in 2027.

Why Seats Take So Long

A premium seat with doors and a fold-flat bed is not just furniture. According to FAA guidance cited by Airways, regulators look at how seats behave in dynamic crash testing, how their structures perform, and whether a deformed seat or fitting could block an escape path. Airways notes that privacy dividers and deployable fittings can affect those assessments, though the FAA guidance does not identify what is holding up the A350 approval.

Singapore Airlines is pairing the seats with a new KrisWorld entertainment system, and Aviacionline reports that Starlink internet will be installed on equipped aircraft, including the A380s and A350s. The 777-9 order itself stands at 31 aircraft, 20 ordered in 2017 and 11 added in 2021, according to the same report.

Singapore Airlines' own film introducing its new long-haul travel experience.

The competition is not standing still, and the airline knows it. Reuters framed the launch as Singapore Airlines spending big as rivals up their game. For a carrier that sells itself on the cabin, a bed for two up front may be the clearest statement yet that it intends to stay ahead, once the paperwork lets it fly.

Sources: Singapore Airlines; Reuters; AeroTime; Airways Magazine; Aviacionline; Boeing

Domande frequenti

When will the Singapore Airlines new cabins enter service?

Singapore Airlines says its new long-haul cabins will be introduced progressively from the second half of 2027. They will appear on 41 refurbished Airbus A350-900s, including seven A350-900ULRs, and on the Boeing 777-9s the airline has on order. Timing depends on seat certification for the A350 and on 777-9 certification.

How big is the Singapore Airlines First Class double bed?

The new Singapore Airlines First Class double bed measures 203 by 152 centimetres, about 80 by 60 inches. It is formed by joining the two centre seats once a divider is lowered, and the airline describes it as the largest double bed in the sky. The seats can also be set up as a two-seat sofa.

How much is Singapore Airlines investing in the new cabins?

Singapore Airlines is investing more than S$2 billion, about US$1.5 billion, in new First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins. Chief Commercial Officer Lee Lik Hsin told Reuters that the total includes the S$1.1 billion A350 refurbishment the airline first announced in 2024.

Which aircraft will get the new Singapore Airlines Business Class?

The new Business Class, with sliding doors and a flat bed up to 24 inches wide, will be fitted to Singapore Airlines' retrofitted Airbus A350-900 long-haul fleet, including the A350-900ULRs, and to its new Boeing 777-9s. Premium Economy and Economy are new only on the 777-9.

How many seats will the Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-9 have?

According to Aviacionline, each Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-9 will carry 300 seats: six First Class suites, 54 Business Class seats, 36 Premium Economy seats and 204 Economy seats. Economy will be laid out ten abreast in a 3-4-3 configuration, replacing the nine-abreast layout of the airline's current 777-300ERs.

Why have the Singapore Airlines new seats been delayed?

Certification is the main reason. Lee Lik Hsin told Reuters the seats are certified for the 777-9 but still await A350 approval, and the 777-9 itself is not yet certified. When the A350 retrofit was announced in 2024, the first refurbished long-haul A350 was expected in the second quarter of 2026.