Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced the return of its A350-900 medium-haul wide-body aircraft to the Kolkata-Singapore route.
The A350 service will operate every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday between Kolkata and Singapore. SQ 516, the inaugural A350 trip, will depart Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata at 23:50 on 26 March 2023. Through the balance of this week, the Airline will continue to operate its B737-8 narrow-body services.
The reintroduction of wide-body services from Kolkata will enhance seat capacity to Singapore by 41.5 per cent and cargo capacity by more than 200 per cent.
The Singapore Airlines A350-900 has taller ceilings, larger windows, a wider body that provides more space and comfort, and lighting designed to combat jetlag. Equipped with SIA’s regional Business Class and Economy Class cabin products, the A350-900 medium-haul Business Class cabin features 40 lie-flat seats arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle access for each passenger, while the Economy Class cabin has 263 seats arranged in a comfortable 3-3-3 layout.
Business Class
Stelia Aerospace manufactured SIA’s A350 Business Class seats for medium-haul flights. Even on the shortest flights, clients can rest more comfortably because each seat can recline immediately into a 76″ fully-flat bed. Each seat has retractable, height-adjustable armrests with a maximum width of 26 inches.
Other amenities include enough storage space for personal goods, a business panel with an in-seat power supply and USB connections, an integrated reading light unit with adjustable lighting intensity, and a personal 17-inch touchscreen monitor with full high-definition resolution.
Economy Class
RECARO designed and constructed the Economy Class seats for SIA’s A350 medium-haul Economy Class aircraft, which provide passengers with a superior in-flight experience. Each seat features an ergonomically-designed contoured backrest for enhanced comfort and a six-way adjustable headrest with foldable wings for enhanced neck support. Customers in Economy Class can also enjoy an upgraded entertainment experience on their 11.6″ full-HD touchscreen monitor.
Economy Class passengers have also been provided with storage space for small personal things, a coat hook, a USB outlet, and an in-seat power supply.
On-Board Entertainment
The A350-900 medium-haul aircraft are also outfitted with the most recent Thales AVANT in-flight entertainment system — a first for the SIA fleet. This has been built with a new user interface that provides a more intuitive experience and navigation options, allowing customers to enjoy Singapore Airlines’ myKrisWorld and its collection of more than 1,800 movies, television shows, audio programmes, and games.
Customers can receive personalised content recommendations based on their viewing history and preferences, and KrisFlyer members can bookmark and restart material and customise and save preferences and playlists for future flights. In addition, KrisFlyer members and Business Class passengers will also have access to expanded entertainment options.
In addition, clients will have access to high-speed WiFi service onboard the new A350-900s, which will be fitted with Inmarsat GX Aviation’s broadband connectivity technology and provided by SITAONAIR.
Flight schedule
From 30 October 2022, Singapore Airlines will fly 96 weekly flights from 8 cities in India, restoring its pre-pandemic frequency to 100 per cent.
