SilkAir has pulled back the curtains on a smart-looking set of business class seats for its new Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet, which is expected to fly to Darwin and Cairns in 2018.
SilkAir has a staggering 37 Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets on order
Finished in a dusky chocolate, the 12 leather-clad seats offer more room for premium passengers compared to the ageing Airbus A319 and A320 jets which will be retired in favour of the MAX 8s.
SilkAir's new Boeing 737 MAX 8 business class
Seat pitch gains an almost 25% boost from 39" to 49"...
SilkAir's new Boeing 737 MAX 8 business class
... while the recline increases from 8" to a snooze-friendly 12".
SilkAir's new Boeing 737 MAX 8 business class
Each seat boasts a spacious side pocket for easy access to personal items as well as AC and USB power sockets.
SilkAir's new Boeing 737 MAX 8 business class
Business class flyers on Singapore Airlines’ regional arm can also enjoy gourmet Illy coffee brewed on board.
Coffee's up for SilkAir's Boeing 737 MAX 8 business class passengers
The 144 economy class seats each sport a seat-back holder for tablets and smartphones plus a USB socket.
While no seats have their own video screens, the airline's SilkAir Studio system beams movies, TV shows and music over WiFi to each passenger's own device.
The first of SilkAir's Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets will begin flights this week, with two more to follow by year's end and a staggering 34 more still to come.
Singapore Airlines' regional arm SilkAir is upgrading its ageing Airbus A319 and A320 fleet with Boeing's new 737 MAX 8 jets.
A signature feature of these next-gen Boeing 737s are the 'split scimitar' wingtips, which reduce drag and boost fuel efficiency.
SilkAir's Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets have 12 business class seats up front, and 144 seats in the economy cabin.
The all-new business class seats are far more spacious than their siblings on the Airbus A319 and A320.
In addition to a generous 49" pitch (up from 39" on the Airbus fleet), the recline increases from 8" to a nap-friendly 12".
Each seat boasts a spacious side pocket for easy access to personal items as well as AC and USB power sockets.
Business class flyers can also enjoy freshly-brewed gourmet Illy coffee above the clouds.
SilkAir's inflight meals for business class flights over three hours cover eastern and western options, such as this Singaporean nonya laksa...
... chicken masala served with vegetables and spiced rice...
... and a simpler 'chicken caesar sandwich' served with caesar salad.
There are no video screens in either business class or economy: movies, TV shows and music from the SilkAir Studio system are beamed over WiFi to tablets and smartphones.
The 144 slimline economy class seats in the Boeing 737 MAX 8 are ranked in a familiar 3-3 layout...
... with SilkAir opting for both aqua and light grey seat colours to break up the cabin.
Each seat sports a seat-back holder for tablets and smartphones plus a handy USB power socket.
Of course, you can always plonk your tablet onto the tray table too.
SilkAir will have three Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets in the air by the end of 2017, and a staggering 34 more still to come.
SilkAir will have three Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets in the air by the end of 2017, and a staggering 34 more still to come.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
29 Jan 2012
Total posts 184
A good looking and clean product. A return to what narrow body business class should be like. Well done!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Oct 2013
Total posts 699
I'm surprised they haven't decided to fit the new aircraft with IFE. A few months ago I met a couple from Cairns (standing in immigration line in Cambodia) who often fly Cairns - Singapore on SilkAir but they've actually started flying via Brisbane on Singapore Airlines for the better aircraft and onboard service.
29 Jun 2017
Total posts 2
Looks absolutely amazing.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Looks good. Can understand no IFE but WiFi streaming (or even Internet) would have been better.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Oct 2013
Total posts 699
It will have wifi streaming but when the aircraft will be doing 6-7 hours flights to/from Cairns, one has got to question the logic of forgoing seatback IFE.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 580
Silk air has been far more profitable for them than tiger or scoot ever were
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
"While no seats have their own video screens, the airline's SilkAir Studio system beams movies, TV shows and music over WiFi to each passenger's own device."
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
Might be because their product is vastly different to SQ. Whereas Tiger and Scoot had similar product offerings.
27 May 2015
Total posts 23
I wonder if this is the direction Virgin Australia will go with their new domestic narrow body business class.
Malaysia Airlines - Enrich
28 Feb 2017
Total posts 8
It seems old MH B737-800 much better because it comes with IFE
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