Singapore Airlines’ new planes and seats delayed again due to certification issues

Singapore Airlines has postponed the entry into service of its new long-haul cabin seats on retrofitted A350-900 aircraft and brand-new Boeing 777-9 planes to the second half of 2027. The national carrier disclosed the delay while introducing the highly anticipated seat designs on November 6. The full-service airline previously announced that the new first- and business-class seats would be introduced on its retrofitted Airbus A350-900 fleet in the first quarter of 2027, later shifting it to the second quarter of the same year.

The setback was attributed to industry-wide supply chain constraints and the certification of one of the new seats. Though the new cabin designs have been in development since 2018, the 777-9's certification was already granted, but the aircraft itself has not received clearance. SIA's chief commercial officer clarified that the seats on the 777-9 have been certified, while those on the A350-900 await authorization.

The certification requirements for the two aircraft types are independent. SIA had initially projected the retrofit program to complete by the end of 2030, but the delay in certification will not impact the completion timeline as the issue lies with certification, not operational readiness. Despite the investment of more than S$2 billion in the new long-haul seats, SIA asserts that airfares for planes equipped with the new seats will not rise due to market demand and supply.