Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) expects to restart flights with Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the coming weeks.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) ungrounded the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on September 6, 2021, following Malaysia and India. But other key markets in Asia, including China and Indonesia, have not yet approved the aircraft’s return to service.
In a statement on November 16, 2021, Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) said it plans for its 737 MAX aircraft, which it refers to as the 737-8, to “progressively” enter into service on points to Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal and Thailand in the “coming weeks”, subject to regulatory approvals. “Further details on these flights will be announced in due time,” the airline said.
“We certainly hope it will be as soon as possible. We definitely expect that it will be before this year is out,” Lee Lik Hsin, Singapore Airline executive vice president commercial, told reporters in Singapore on November 16, 2021, according to Reuters.
The Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) executive made the comments after the carrier unveiled the cabins for its fleet of 737-8 aircraft, including lie-flat seats for business class, unusual for a narrow-body aircraft.
All of its 737-8 aircraft will have 154 seats in a two-class layout, with 10 seats in business class and 144 in economy.
Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) said it had invested around S$230 million ($170 million) in the new cabins.
“This elevates the customer experience on board the Airline’s narrowbody aircraft fleet to a level similar to its widebody aircraft, offering a consistent and premium travel journey across the entire Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) network,” the carrier noted.
Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) has 31 737 MAX aircraft on order.
