Singapore Airlines will spend more than S$2 billion (US$1.6 billion) to upgrade long-haul cabins across 72 widebody aircraft, introducing sliding doors to business class and larger double-bed suites to first class.

The carrier unveiled the multi-class overhaul on Friday, covering its incoming Boeing 777-9 fleet alongside retrofits for existing Airbus A350-900 jets. Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong presented the plan ahead of the new cabins’ targeted debut in the second half of 2027.

Under the investment programme, centre seats in first class will convert into what the airline calls the largest double bed in commercial aviation. Business class will feature fully flat beds and sliding privacy doors for the first time in the company’s history, alongside refreshed premium economy and economy sections.

Chief commercial officer Lee Lik Hsin confirmed the carrier is funding the capital expenditure entirely from internal reserves, supported by a cash balance of S$9.1 billion recorded at the end of June. The package includes a S$1.1 billion retrofit plan for the A350 fleet that management first cleared in 2024, absorbing that budget into the wider long-haul fleet overhaul.

Management has declined to place a ceiling on future cabin capital expenditure. Lee stated that unit costs for premium seating hardware outstrip economy outlays by wide margins, keeping the carrier’s capital allocation tilted toward the front of the aircraft where passenger yields remain highest.

Rivals across the Asia-Pacific transit corridor and the Middle East continue to direct billions into corporate and leisure travel cabins. Rising jet fuel expenses have squeezed operating margins and lifted base ticket prices, dampening demand among economy class ticket holders while high-end bookings have sustained their revenue contribution.

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