Now that travel inbound and outbound from Singapore is mostly back to pre-pandemic normals in terms of frequencies and regulations, flag carrier Singapore Airlines wants to showcase its highly anticipated Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on as many routes as possible. The latest addition is on its Singapore-Cairns route.
Bringing the MAX to Australia
According to the Singapore Airlines website, the airline currently only operates the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on flight services to Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, and Thailand. Flight services to Australia are currently being flown on the airline's widebodies such as the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Interestingly, Singapore Airlines had only just restarted flight services to Cairns this week - a route that was previously flown by the airline's regional sister SilkAir. That airline has since been closed down and absorbed into the main carrier. Now, SIA is scheduled to fly the route three times per week using the Boeing 737-800 first, before eventually upgrading to the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, according to a report by Executive Traveller.
The pent-up excitement to fully return to Australia is clear for Singapore Airlines, as the route is set to be further increased to five times weekly from May 30th onwards. Singapore Airlines Regional Vice President South-West Pacific, Louis Azrul commented,
“Increasing the number of services per week will provide greater connectivity and help attract more visitors back to this amazing city, while also allowing those in Cairns and surrounds more opportunities to explore our global network.”
MAXimum comfort onboard
Once the Boeing 737 MAX rules over the seven-hour Singapore-Cairns route from April 11th, passengers are in for an experience full of maximum delight with the state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment systems such as a 16-inch high-definition video screen, with the addition of an adapter and charging ports within easy reach. They will also have an onboard WiFi connection and elevated in-flight dining experience.
Then there will also be a slight, yet much better and noticeable difference from the former SilkAir fleet of Boeing 737s - which would be the brand-new business class cabin that seats 10 generous seats that are reclinable into a fully-flat bed. And out of these 10 seats, two are known as solo 'throne seats' whereby passengers can enjoy added privacy and personal space in the delight of the spacious comfort.
Although seven hours on the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft might put some flyers off, those keen to try it will find a unique experience when flying with Singapore Airlines to Cairns. Azrul further noted that,
"This reflects our commitment to the North Queensland market.”
Reopening the flagship lounges
Besides an elevated and maximized flight experience, passengers will soon be able to fully enjoy all of Singapore Airlines' flagship lounges in Changi International Airport Terminal 3, as the airline is planning to soon unwrap its all-new The Private Room and SilverKris First Lounge.
The two reopenings will join the beautifully revamped KrisFlyer Gold Lounge, as well as the iconic SilverKris Business Lounge which reopened in November 2021. Together, all flagship lounges will provide a wonderful and luxurious resting haven for the airline's frequent high flyers.
Source: Executive Traveller