Singapore Airlines (SIA) is investing further in the Australian market with the introduction of fully-flat business class seats to Brisbane.
The Star Alliance member and Virgin Australia partner plans to replace an Airbus A330-300 with a Boeing 777-200ER on one of its daily Singapore-Brisbane rotations from Sunday October 30.
The equipment change represents an improvement for business class passengers given the 777-200ER featured fully-flat seats that offered direct aisle access in a 1-2-1 layout, compared with angled lie-flat seats in 2-2-2 configuration on the A330-300.
SIA regional vice president Tan Tiow Kor said the arrival of new aircraft in the airline’s fleet made it possible to offer an upgraded product on the route.
“Our Brisbane customers have been asking for the option of a full flat bed Business class seat and I am pleased we are now in a position to operate an aircraft that provides that choice,” Tan said in a statement on Monday.
“As more of the new aircraft join our fleet there will be more options to provide greater choice to our customers in the South West Pacific.”
The 777-200ER will be deployed on the SQ245 from Singapore, which is a day flight, and SQ246 from Brisbane that takes off at 2335.
SIA flies 24 times a week between Singapore and Brisbane. The remaining flights will continue to be operated by A330-300 equipment. Earlier this year, the airline opened the doors on a new SilverKris premium passenger lounge at Brisbane.
Monday’s announcement follows the start of four times weekly Singapore-Canberra-Wellington service in September.
And SIA is also adding new Singapore-Jakarta-Sydney flights three times a week in November.
Figures from the federal government’s Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) showed SIA, in terms of passengers carried, was Australia’s second largest foreign carrier in the 12 months to July 2016 with 8.3 per cent of the market, behind Emirates on 9.1 per cent.
The BITRE figures also showed SIA carried 17.6 per cent of Australia’s air freight, the most of any carrier, in the month of July.
