SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) might have to delay the launch of its next-generation first class and business class suites again after Boeing confirmed that its long-awaited 777X jet won’t be ready until 2026, Executive Traveller reports.
SIA has ordered 31 of Boeing’s 777-9 jets, intended to showcase a major upgrade in passenger experience.
CEO Goh Choon Phong had described the new cabins as a “quantum leap” from the current Boeing 777 premium cabins, with a first class that would once again set new industry standards.
However, the Boeing 777X family has faced multiple delays since its debut, initially scheduled for 2019.
The delays have been caused by various technical and engine issues and supply chain disruptions triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In May 2024, Mr Goh expressed optimism that SIA would receive its first 777-9 by late 2025. However, Boeing’s recent confirmation has pushed that timeline further, with deliveries not expected until 2026.
SIA may also not receive its first unit until 2027, as other airlines like Emirates, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways are at the front of the queue for the 777-9.
According to Executive Traveller, a SIA spokesperson said the airline is “working closely with Boeing to finalise the delivery timeline for its 777-9 aircraft.”
The next-generation suites
SIA and its frequent premium passengers have eagerly awaited the arrival of the 777-9’s new suites and seats, especially as the airline’s current first and business class offerings on the 777-300ER are over a decade old.
In a highly competitive industry, premium cabin standards have significantly advanced, with modern features such as sliding privacy doors, 4K video screens with Bluetooth streaming, and USB-C and wireless charging now becoming standard in business-class offerings.
Betty Wong, SIA’s head of Inflight Services and Design, said in a 2021 interview with Executive Traveller that the basic design for the new 777-9 premium cabins had already been signed off.
Ms Wong also mentioned that delays to the aircraft’s delivery gave the airline extra time to review the designs and ensure that the latest technologies and materials would be used.
“We’re on track,” she had said, although she acknowledged that “there is always that little bit of a change” during the final stages of design.
SIA has held several invitation-only focus groups, where some of the airline’s most frequent flyers were given a sneak peek at the new seat designs.
The feedback from these focus groups was reportedly positive, said Ms Wong, giving the airline confidence that its new product would meet customer expectations.
She also confirmed that the 777-9 will feature entirely new premium economy and economy class seats, adding that “everything is new,” from tip to tail, including the seat configurations and designs.
Impact of the 777-9 delay on other airlines
SIA isn’t the only airline affected by the 777-9 delays. Boeing currently holds 448 orders for the 777-9 and the smaller 777-8 model, but each airline faces different challenges as they wait for their deliveries.
Emirates has ordered 205 of the 777X jets and has already begun upgrading its ageing 777-300ER planes with new business class seats to extend their lifespan.
The airline has also decided to keep its iconic A380 superjumbos flying well into the 2040s.
Meanwhile, Emirates has scrapped its original 777-9 cabin designs and started over, with Emirates President Sir Tim Clark lamenting that the cabin’s “technology and look were becoming outdated.”
He added, “We’ve had to junk it all: the IFE, the economy seats, the premium economy seats have all been trashed, and we start again.”
Qatar Airways has already introduced its Qsuite Next Gen, which will be featured on the 777-9 and is also working on a new first class cabin.
Lufthansa, the first airline to commit to the 777X in 2013, has also grown tired of waiting and is now rolling out its new Allegris family of cabins on its Airbus A350 jets.
Lufthansa’s first class and premium economy Allegris suites are already in service, and the first class is expected to debut before the end of the year.
Cathay Pacific will launch its Aria Suites business class on the first of 30 upgraded Boeing 777-300ERs.
While a new ‘Halo’ first class was planned for the 777-9s, the current 777s will only have business class, as the old first class ‘open suites’ will be removed. /TISG
Read also: SIAEC Philippine subsidiary becomes first Embraer authorised E2 jet service centre in APAC
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)