Singapore Airlines has revealed that it will be starting Boeing 737-8 MAX operations next week, with the first of six aircraft transferred from SilkAir operating between Changi and Phuket on 23rd November, including 10 of the latest Thompson Vantage Regional Business Class seats.
There’s also a fresh new Economy Class cabin with 144 Collins Aerospace seats, featuring seat-back IFE, USB charging and Wi-Fi, for a passenger experience more akin to long-haul flights.
The launch also coincides with an opening of the Business Class section in the newly renovated SilverKris lounge at Changi T3, which will open its doors as the new temporary location for lounge-eligible guests at 5am the same morning the MAX is due to take flight on its inaugural SIA passenger service.
Earlier this week we were at the new product showcase for the airline’s Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, and despite officials keeping their lips tightly sealed on the inaugural route we were clearly teased on board with a significant hint via the IFE system!
As it turns out, SQ728 from Singapore to Phuket will indeed be the first ever SIA passenger 737 MAX service on Tuesday 23rd November.
There’s even a ‘throne seat’ available in Business Class… tempting!
The schedule
From 23rd November 2021 the Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX will debut on the Phuket route, as shown in the following schedule.
Singapore Phuket
23rd November 2021
to 30th November 2021
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
SQ728 737-8 MAX |
||||||||
| SIN 09:50 |
HKT 10:45 |
||||||||
|
SQ738 737-8 MAX |
||||||||
| SIN 17:20 |
HKT 18:15 |
||||||||
Phuket Singapore
23rd November 2021
to 30th November 2021
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
SQ727 737-8 MAX |
||||||||
| HKT 11:35 |
SIN 14:25 |
||||||||
|
SQ735 737-8 MAX |
||||||||
| HKT 19:05 |
SIN 22:05 |
||||||||
From 1st December 2021 the SQ728/727 flight swaps to an Airbus A350, with SQ738/735 continuing on the 737 MAX until 9th December 2021, when it too moves to seasonal wide-body operations.
After that the MAX appears on the Singapore – Phuket route as follows:
- SQ726/725 SIN-HKT-SIN (19-29 Dec 2021)
- SQ740/739 SIN-HKT-SIN (1-11 Jan 2022)
From 1st February 2022 the double daily Phuket route then returns to the Boeing 737 MAX on both flights until the end of the published schedule on 26th March 2022.
Cabin products
We were lucky to be able to attend SIA’s product showcase for the new Boeing 737-8 MAX cabin products, getting a hands-on look at the narrow-body Regional Business Class and Economy Class seats.
Here are our dedicated articles covering the new cabins, to help you know what to expect on board.
Which aircraft?
Singapore Airlines now has six ex-SilkAir Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft at Changi, on which it has refitted the cabins, installed the KrisWorld IFE system including Wi-Fi capability, and of course finished the external respray into SIA colours.
SIA Boeing 737-8 MAX Fleet
| Registration | Delivered | Last commercial flight (SilkAir) |
| 9V-MBA | 1 Oct 2017 (age 4.1 yrs) |
11 Mar 2019 |
| 9V-MBB | 7 Nov 2017 (age 4.0 yrs) |
11 Mar 2019 |
| 9V-MBC | 19 Dec 2017 (age 3.9 yrs) |
10 Mar 2019 |
| 9V-MBD | 13 Apr 2018 (age 3.6 yrs) |
12 Mar 2019 |
| 9V-MBE | 4 May 2018 (age 3.5 yrs) |
11 Mar 2019 |
| 9V-MBF | 7 Mar 2019 (age 2.7 yrs) |
11 Mar 2019 |
These should all be progressively moved into service over the next few weeks, which should also mean the MAX making its debut on other regional routes aside from just Phuket.
Eight more of the MAXs will be delivered to SIA between now and 31st March 2022, according to the airline’s latest financial update, however these aircraft were originally destined for SilkAir and will therefore all require cabin refit work when they arrive at Changi before joining the operating fleet.
Summary
Exactly a week after revealing its cabin products to the media, Singapore Airlines will launch its Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft into passenger service with the Singapore – Phuket route first to benefit from 23rd November 2021.
With six aircraft already in the new configuration, other cities are bound to follow in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile passengers to and from Phuket will be among the first to experience the MAX’s new Business Class and Economy Class cabin products, including flat-bed seats at the ‘pointy end’.
(Cover Photo: Plane’s Portrait Aviation Media / Malcolm Lu)