Singapore Airlines Retiring 737-800s
Intro
Back in March 2021, during the pandemic, Singapore Airlines and SilkAir merged into one airline: Singapore Airlines. Due to the merger, Singapore Airlines ended up acquiring nine Boeing 737-800s featuring recliner seats in Business Class. While these aircraft were refreshed to give them a more "premium feel," it seems like their short stint with SQ is coming to an end.
The End Of The 737-800s At SQ
Singapore Airlines has scheduled its final flight with the 737-800, and I have to say that I am not disappointed. Not to be confused with the 737 Max 8, Singapore Airlines has a sub fleet of 737-800s that operate to the likes of Kuala Lumpur, Siem Reap, and other destinations around Southeast Asia.
The final flight on these 800s will be operated on October 26th from Kathmandu to Changi, landing at 6:20 am. From there on out, Singapore Airline's narrowbody will exclusively feature the Boeing 737 Max 8. Of course, Singapore Airlines also offers a variety of long haul aircraft, ranging from the 777-300 to the 787-10 to the A350-900.
Originally, these aircraft weren't exactly intended to join the Singapore Airlines fleet. However, due to the grounding of the MAX in 2020, Singapore Airlines decided to use these aircraft for mostly shorter hops around SE Asia (minus Kathamandu).
My Thoughts
Singapore Airlines played all of their cards right utilizing this aircraft.
Obviously, Singapore Airlines has made it prominent that they want all of their aircraft to feature lie-flat seats in business class. However, with the grounding of the MAX 8, they had to become proactive in order to not cut any routes.
With the rebound of travel we have seen after the pandemic, it made sense that these aircraft stuck around for a little bit of time. However, as Singapore has taken delivery of a couple more widebodies, they have decided to slowly start fazing out these 737-800s.
For passengers, this is a great addition. Singapore prices out most of their flights at the same cost if the fare class allows, and thus, passengers won't have to worry about not being in a lie-flat seat. The only caveat is that from March 30th until October 26, the 737-800 will serve Penang 4x daily and Kathmandu 1x daily.
Final Thoughts
Singapore Airlines' least premium aircraft, the 737-800, is soon coming up to its final flight with the airline. As of October 26th, the 737-800 will no longer be a part of the SQ fleet, leaving their only narrowbody to be the 737 Max 8. All in all, this makes a lot of sense.
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