SIA Unveils New Cabin-Service Products and Latest KrisWorld IFE System

Singapore Airlines has unveiled its next generation of in-flight cabin service products, which include new seats in all three cabin classes and the carrier’s new KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system.

In September, passengers traveling on select flights between Singapore and London will be the first to experience the new cabin products, installed in SIA’s First, Business and Economy classes. Singapore Airlines will roll out the new seats and KrisWorld in-flight entertainment (IFE) system to other routes as additional new aircraft enter service.

For its latest First Class seats, SIA has introduced an ergonomically sculpted cushion and improved adjustable headrest for greater seating comfort, with new features such as a padded headboard for extra support

Singapore Airlines is investing nearly US$150 million to introduce the new cabin products initially on eight new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline will extend its investment program when it introduces the new products on Airbus A350 XWB widebodies, scheduled for delivery in the years ahead.

According to SIA, the July 9 unveiling is the result of more than two years of working with design firms. BMW Group DesignworksUSA assisted with the development of the new First Class, James Park Associates assisted with Business Class and Massive Interactive with the in-flight entertainment system interface.

“The significant investment in our next generation of cabin products reaffirms our commitment to product innovation and leadership, and demonstrates our confidence in the future for premium full-service air travel,” said Mak Swee Wah, SIA’s executive vice president commercial.

“Special attention has been given to ergonomics, comfort, convenience and design, as well as to our customers’ interests and lifestyles,” added Mak. “The task that we gave ourselves and our design partners when we started the process was to make ‘A Great Way to Fly’ even better. We are confident that we have delivered.”

Singapore Airlines’ new First Class seats offer customers their own personal sanctuaries. Each seat features a new fixed-back shell design with curved side panels to provide a clear demarcation of personal space, for added privacy. The new flat-bed seat is 35 inches wide and its bed length has been increased  from 80 to 82 inches.

SIA’s new First Class seats are designed to offer passengers their own personal sanctuaries. Each seat features a new fixed-back shell design with curved side panels to provide a clear demarcation of personal space, for added privacy

Extensive research was conducted to determine how best to increase the comfort of the new First Class seat. SIA has introduced an ergonomically sculpted cushion and improved adjustable headrest for greater seating comfort, with new features such as a padded headboard for extra support and an additional mattress layer added to help passengers rest well.

The passenger control unit of the new First Class seat includes a new switch to allow customers to turn off their in-flight entertainment monitors more easily and for cabin crew members to do so without disturbing customers when they are resting.

Another key feature is the in-seat lighting, according to SIA. The airline carried out in-depth research with lighting experts to develop a stylish reading light which also provides a conducive environment for reading or working.

Extensive tests were performed to determine optimal light color and intensity, with brightness adjustability. In addition to reading lights, the seat features ambient lighting, which accentuates the seat design and serves as a night light in a dimmed cabin.

Complementing the experience is the airline’s new KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system. First Class customers have access to the new KrisWorld on a 24-inch LCD screen, with video touch-screen handsets.

To ensure that First Class passengers’ personal devices are within easy reach, even while charging, eXport and USB ports are discreetly located within a leather-lined bespoke stowage compartment by the side of the seat. HDMI ports have also been added to offer each First Class passenger the flexibility to use KrisWorld as his or her own personal media player.

When converted to a flat bed, SIA’s latest Business Class seat becomes the industry’s widest full-flat bed and is 78 inches in length, according to the airline. The seat also features a padded headboard cushion for extra comfort

Singapore Airlines’ new Business Class seat offers greater recline, at 132 degrees, than do previous seats and the new seat features an improved ergonomic seat cushion. When converted, it becomes the industry’s widest full-flat bed and is 78 inches in length, according to SIA. The seat also features a padded headboard cushion for extra comfort.

In addition, the new Business Class seat boasts two new seating positions ‒ ‘Lazy Z’ and ‘Sundeck’ ‒ following in-depth research and feedback from customers. These additional lounging positions are designed to provide greater flexibility for customers to choose their preferred ways to work or relax.

Taking into account customer feedback highlighting a need for increased stowage space, the new Business Class seat now has an amenity stowage area on the side console and a laptop stowage area.

Other enhanced features include an 18-inch LCD screen and video touch-screen handset for customers to access the new KrisWorld IFE system, as well as an all-in-one business panel including in-seat power supply, USB port, eXport and HDMI ports.

Like the new First Class seat, the new Business Class seat boasts a floodlight reading light and an LCD monitor on/off switch for added convenience.

SIA’s latest Economy Class seats offer increased personal space and legroom, as well as a seat-back in-flight entertainment screen increased in diameter to 11.1 inches

The new Singapore Airlines Economy Class seat uses innovative design and materials to provide additional comfort, along with increased personal space and legroom.

Each seat, which features a refreshed contemporary fabric design, comes with new backrest seat cushions with side bolsters for better back support. An ergonomically sculpted headrest cushion, which supports an increased range of height adjustments, offers better neck support.

Economy Class passengers access the new KrisWorld in-flight entertainment experience on a wider 11.1-inch seatback monitor, featuring an intelligent and unique touch-screen graphical user interface (GUI) accompanied by a video touch-screen handset.

SIA’s new KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system, based on a Panasonic Avionics hardware platform, will initially be available on the same eight new Boeing 777-300ERs that will begin to enter service with the carrier’s new First, Business and Economy seats and cabin-service products from September.

It will also be introduced on new Airbus A350-900 jets scheduled for delivery in the future, in line with the terms of an agreement valued at nearly $400 million that SIA signed with Panasonic Avionics in 2012.

In its new KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system Singapore Airlines has made a multitude of changes designed for user-friendliness and increased functionality. In each cabin class, the seat-back LCD monitors for the new IFE systems are also bigger than previous KrisWorld seat-back screens

The airline says it might also retrofit the new IFE system on other aircraft already in service which have existing KrisWorld systems.

Singapore Airlines agreed in 2012 to be the launch customer for Panasonic Avionics’ next-generation eX3 system, specifying the eX3 system for its Airbus A350s as well as being the first to offer the eX3 on the Boeing 777-300ER.

On its A350s SIA will also be the first to offer Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite, which will offer the capability to provide broadband Internet services to passenger devices and the seat-back, as well as mobile phone services.

The new KrisWorld system features larger LCD screens and video touch-screen handsets across all classes. LCD screens will increase from 23 to 24 inches in First Class, 15.4 to 18 inches in Business Class and 10.6 to 11.1 inches in Economy Class.

Economy Class passengers will also be able to browse through the system’s more than 1,000 on-demand entertainment options by swiping or scrolling through their touch-screen monitors.

Singapore Airlines has worked with Massive Interactive to integrate the functionality of the video touch-screen handset seamlessly into the core design of a new KrisWorld user interface to ensure that navigating through menus and programs is intuitive and user-friendly.

Singapore Airlines’ new Business Class seat offers greater recline, at 132 degrees, than do previous seats and the new seat features an improved ergonomic seat cushion

Passengers will be able to multitask among the varied entertainment options available. For example, they may watch a movie, while at the same time using the handset to keep up to date with the latest news headlines or tracking the aircraft’s flight path.

Alternatively, customers may use the handset as a touchscreen trackpad to navigate KrisWorld. New features such as “Quick Search”, where a flick of the handset pulls up a playlist of entertainment choices, are also being introduced.

Leveraging on technology, SIA has incorporated other features into KrisWorld. For example, the Notification Center on the KrisWorld dashboard contains information relevant to the flight, reducing the number of onboard announcements, thereby allowing passengers to watch movies uninterrupted.

Customers will also experience greater personalization, with KrisWorld providing content recommendations based on passengers’ preferences. They may also rate movies and see how others have rated the films.

The new KrisWorld IFE system complements SIA’s in-flight connectivity service. To date the airline has equipped 21 aircraft and expects to complete rolling out the service to the rest of its Airbus A380-800 and Boeing 777-300ERs by the end of next year.