Singapore Airlines to introduce Airbus A350 aircraft in Kolkata

Kolkata: Singapore Airlines on Thursday announced  it is going to introduce its Airbus A350-900 medium haul aircraft from June 3 on the Kolkata to Singapore sector, replacing the existing Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

It stated it would also be the first international airline to bring Airbus A350-900 medium haul aircraft to Kolkata. The inaugural service SQ517 will depart from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at 11.50 pm on June 3.

The new aircraft will initially operate a daily service from June 3 to June 8. From June 10, the SIA will operate four weekly scheduled services on the Airbus A350 aircraft type. Combined with its regional wing - SilkAir, it offers a daily evening departure service from Kolkata to Singapore.

SIA General Manager India David Lim said, "With the commencement of Airbus A350 services, Kolkata becomes our third, Indian point to receive this aircraft type. Singapore Airlines’ latest regional cabin products combined with our award-winning inflight service will provide our Eastern India travelers enhanced comfort and an unparalleled travel experience.”

The 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 the new regional Business Class and Economy Class cabin products, the A350-900 medium haul Business Class cabin has 40 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, according to the SIA.

The new 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.

The new 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.

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.