SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, today celebrated the arrival of its new aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX 8.
The new aircraft is the first of 37 Boeing 737 MAX 8s ordered and marks a significant milestone in SilkAir’s journey towards expanding its network.
Passengers will be greeted by a refreshed cabin look and feel on the new MAX 8 aircraft. Designed to create a more relaxing atmosphere on-board, the MAX 8’s Boeing Sky Interior highlights new modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, and also features LED lighting which further elevates the sense of spaciousness for customers.
Business Class
The MAX 8 aircraft will feature an enhanced Business Class, with a new seat configuration of 156 seats – 12 Business Class seats and 144 Economy Class seats.
The Business Class cabin will feature an increased seat pitch (39”to 49”) and additional seat recline (8” to 12”). The new seats will also feature a convenient side pocket for personal storage, as well as a USB and 3-pin charging port to keep devices fully charged throughout the flight.
Economy Class
Economy Class seats have also been refined and showcase a sleeker and more ergonomic design. Seats in Economy Class are also fitted with seat-back tablet and phone holders and are accompanied by personal in-seat USB charging ports.
SilkAir’s in-flight entertainment service, SilkAir Studio has also been upgraded to ensure that the latest entertainment options are available. It now offers more than 100 exciting blockbuster hits, Hollywood and international movies, 40 television shows as well as chart-topping music.
Mr. Foo Chai Woo, Chief Executive of SilkAir:
“We are thrilled to be welcoming the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 to the SilkAir family. The new MAX 8 enables us to offer customers access to new and exciting destinations and paves the way for a new phase of growth. With the aircraft entering into service soon, we look forward to inviting customers on-board to enjoy the quality experience that the MAX 8 offers.”
First destination
The first new destination the MAX 8 will fly to is Hiroshima, Japan, with the inaugural flight taking place on 30 October 2017. This marks the first Japanese destination that SilkAir has added to its network. With three times a week, this route will also be the only non-stop service between Hiroshima and Singapore.
Two more MAX 8s are expected to be delivered by the end of the year, with another 34 on order. Besides the newly introduced destination of Hiroshima, all MAX 8 aircraft will also be deployed to other longer haul destinations in the network including Cairns, Darwin, Kathmandu, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
To celebrate the launch of the new aircraft, SilkAir has created a dedicated MAX 8 microsite where the public can learn more about the aircraft, SilkAir destinations and also stand a chance to win flights on the brand new fleet of MAX 8 aircraft by participating in online mini games. More information can be found here: silkair.com/max8
About SilkAir
SilkAir is the regional wing of Singapore Airlines. Based in Singapore Changi. SilkAir is a premium, short-to-medium haul regional carrier.
It operates the Singapore Airlines Group’s narrowbody fleet to multiple destinations in Asia Pacific.
Routes: SilkAir operates about 400 weekly flights to 53 destinations in 15 countries. Countries include Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Fleet: The airline currently has a fleet of 31 aircraft, comprising:
- 3 Airbus A319
- 10 Airbus 320
- 17 Boeing 737-800
- 1 Boeing 737 MAX 8
Passengers: About 4 million a year.
Alliance: None. (Although owned by Star Alliance member, Singapore Airlines, SilkAir is not in any alliance.)
N.B. Image credit: Silk Air
