The Fact Maker

Singapore Airlines To Resume Airbus A350-900 Medium Haul Services To Kolkata

Hyderabad: Singapore Airlines (SIA) is pleased to announce the reintroduction of its A350-900 medium haul wide-body aircraft on the Kolkata to Singapore sector.

Singapore Airlines will continue to operate daily flights between Kolkata and Singapore, with the A350 services operating every Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The inaugural A350 service, SQ 516, will depart from Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at 2350hrs on 26 March 2023. The Airline will continue to operate its B737-8 narrow-body services through the remainder of the week.

The relaunch of wide-body services from Kolkata will result in a 41.5% increase in seat capacity to Singapore, and will also provide an increase in cargo capacity by over 200%.

Mr. Sy Yen Chen, General Manager India for Singapore Airlines, said, “We are delighted to finally relaunch our A350 medium haul services to Kolkata once again. This is a significant milestone for us that will not only cater to the steadily growing demand from West Bengal, but will also open up new cargo opportunities from the region that were previously unavailable to us due to product-related capacity constraints.”

“In line with SIA’s commitment to product and service excellence, the Airbus A350 medium haul aircraft, combined with our award-winning inflight service, will provide enhanced comfort to travellers from Kolkata.” Mr. Chen added.

The Singapore Airlines A350-900 features higher ceilings, larger windows, an extra wide body delivering more space and comfort, as well as lighting designed to reduce jetlag. Fitted with SIA’s regional Business Class and Economy Class cabin products, the A350-900 medium haul Business Class cabin has 40 lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 arrangement that ensures direct aisle access for every customer, while the Economy Class cabin has 263 seats arranged in a comfortable 3-3-3 configuration.

Business Class

SIA’s A350 medium haul Business Class seats have been manufactured by Stelia Aerospace. With each seat able to recline directly into a 76” fully-flat bed, customers can rest in more comfort, even on the shortest flights. Each seat measures up to 26” in width with retractable armrests that can be raised and lowered.

Other features include ample stowage space for personal items, a business panel with in-seat power supply and USB ports, an integrated reading light unit with adjustable lighting intensity and a personal 17” full high-definition touchscreen monitor.

Economy Class

SIA’s A350 medium haul Economy Class seats have been designed and manufactured by RECARO and also offer customers an enhanced in-flight experience. Each seat has an ergonomically-designed contour backrest that provides greater relaxation, and a six-way adjustable headrest with foldable wings to provide more neck support. Economy Class customers can also enjoy an enhanced entertainment experience on their personal 11.6” full high-definition touchscreen monitor.

Other features that have been introduced for Economy Class customers include storage space for small personal items, a coat hook, USB port and in-seat power supply.

In-flight Entertainment

The A350-900 medium haul aircraft are also fitted with the latest Thales AVANT in-flight entertainment system – a first in SIA’s fleet. This has been designed with a new user interface that offers a more intuitive experience and navigation options, leaving customers with the pleasure of enjoying Singapore Airlines’ myKrisWorld and its selection of more than 1,800 movies, TV shows, audio programmes and games with even greater flexibility.

Customers can receive personalised content recommendations based on their preferences and viewing history, while KrisFlyer members can bookmark and resume content, as well as customise and save preferences and playlists for subsequent flights. KrisFlyer members and Business Class customers will also have access to additional in-flight entertainment content choices.

In addition, customers will have access to high-speed in-flight WiFi service on the new A350-900s, equipped with Inmarsat GX Aviation’s broadband connectivity system offered through SITAONAIR.

From 30 October 2022, Singapore Airlines restored 100 per cent of its pre-pandemic frequency from India and now operates 96 flights weekly from 8 cities across the country.

SIA has implemented myriad digital solutions for the well-being of our customers, and to support a comfortable and seamless experience.