SIA’s 2023 fleet development plan – and what it means for cabin products

Singapore Airlines releases its fleet development plan annually in May, providing investors with an overview of the upcoming changes to their aircraft fleet. This year, the airline's passenger fleet is set to expand from 133 to 142 planes. The majority of new additions will be Boeing 787-10s, equipped with the 2018 Regional Business Class seats. Additionally, two Boeing 777-300ERs will be retired, adding to the four already taken out of service due to the impact of COVID-19. Singapore Airlines' low-cost subsidiary, Scoot, anticipates receiving two Embraer E190 regional jets in March of the following year.

The fleet development plan for Singapore Airlines' mainline carrier for the period between March 31, 2023, and March 31, 2024, is outlined below. Please note that some fleet movements have already occurred by the time of writing, as the baseline is March 31, 2023. This summary focuses solely on passenger aircraft, excluding cargo jets:

• One of the two listed A350 Long Haul additions (9V-SJF) was delivered in late March 2023 and has already entered service in early April 2023. Therefore, only one more aircraft of this type is expected to join the fleet this financial year.

• The single Boeing 737-8 MAX listed as joining the fleet this financial year was actually delivered last year but commenced service after its cabin refurbishment in late April 2023.

• Two of the eight new Boeing 787-10s set to join the fleet this financial year have already been delivered (9V-SCS on April 2, 2023, and 9V-SCT on June 25, 2023), leaving six more of these aircraft to be added.

• The fleet of Boeing 737-800s remains unchanged at seven aircraft until March 31, 2024. These planes, previously operated by SilkAir, have older cabin features and are expected to be phased out starting in mid-2024, with the final aircraft likely being returned to the lessor by the end of 2025. Currently, they are primarily deployed on short routes between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Phnom Penh.

• Singapore Airlines will receive one more Airbus A350 Long Haul aircraft this year, with only two more of this model expected to be delivered afterward. Subsequent A350 deliveries will consist of seven A350F cargo jets, which will replace the aging Boeing 747-400 freighters starting from late 2025.