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Singapore Airlines is preparing for a key transition in its ongoing fleet modernization strategy, as it readies itself for the withdrawal of its final Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The Star Alliance member has been flying these narrowbody twinjets from the 737NG family for just over four years, but, now, their time at the revered Asian airline has come to an end. As it stands, the last flight will touch down on Sunday morning. While these aircraft are far from old, their withdrawal will mark a key step forward for Singapore Airlines as far as the onboard passenger experience that the carrier offers is concerned. Indeed, the Boeing 737-800 is the last aircraft type in its fleet that doesn't have flatbed seats in business class. As such, from Monday, Singapore Airlines will be able to promise passengers a more consistent premium product. The End Of An Era Mainly Miles reported earlier this week that Sunday, October 26, will see the arrival of Singapore Airlines' final scheduled flight with the Boeing 737-800. The flight in question will actually be an overnight affair, departing Kathmandu (KTM) in Nepal as SQ441 at 22:50 on Saturday night and touching down at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) at 06:15 local time on Sunday morning to bring its service to a close. According to Mainly Miles, Singapore Airlines' final example of the Beoung 737-800 bears the registration 9V-MGN, and is 10 years old. Before making its final return journey from Changi to Kathmandu and back, the jet will also operate two round trips from Singapore to Penang (PEN) and back on Saturday, October 25. Goh Choon Phong, the airline's CEO, said at the time of the Boeing 737-800's introduction that: "The 737-800 will bring about a more comfortable and seamless travel experience for customers on our regional routes. Integrating SilkAir with SIA also allows us to be nimble and flexible in aircraft deployment." The Story Of Singapore Airlines' Short-Lived Boeing 737-800 Fleet Singapore Airlines' working relationship with the Boeing 737-800 began back in 2021. It was at this point in time, as One Mile At A Time recalls, that the carrier merged its subsidiary, Silk Air, into its own mainline operations. This resulted in nine examples of the type joining Singapore Airlines. Per One Mile At A Time, these aircraft more or less retained their original cabins, which set them apart from the rest of the Singapore Airlines fleet as they did not have lie-flat business class seats. Instead, as aeroLOPA notes, they had 12 recliners at the front of the cabin laid out in a four-abreast (2-2) configuration that was more akin to domestic first class at major North American airlines such as US legacy carriers. While these seats were perfectly pleasant, with aeroLOPA showing that they offered 49 inches of pitch, 22 inches of width, and 12 inches of recline, alongside a 16-inch HD screen for in-flight entertainment, this did result in a somewhat inconsistent passenger experience. Despite this shortcoming, the aircraft did allow Singapore Airlines to resume flights to destinations such as Cairns and Darwin in Australia. Singapore Airlines' Boeing 737 MAX Fleet The future of narrowbody twinjet operations at Singapore Airlines will now come in the form of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with this popular model serving as a natural successor to the bestselling 737-800 model from the 737NG family. According to ch-aviation, the carrier has 19 in its fleet. Of these aircraft, 18 are currently listed by the site as being active, while one (9V-MBE) is undergoing maintenance procedures at Singapore Changi Airport. They are just 5.4 years old on average, compared to a fleet-wide mean figure of 8.6 years, and the carrier has another seven units on order. In terms of passenger experience, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 offers a considerable step forward for premium guests with the presence of lie-flat business class seats. There are 10 of these on board, with four in the first and third rows and two in the second, with the staggered configuration making the solo 'throne' seats in the second row the best in the house. When flat, these beds measure 76 inches long.
