Singapore Airlines expands 737-800 network from March 2021

Singapore Airlines has revealed the next four confirmed routes for its newly inherited Boeing 737-800 fleet, as nine such aircraft progressively move across from regional subsidiary SilkAir into the mainline operation over the coming months.

This new era for the carrier will allow it to gain the flexibility of operating more cost efficient narrow-body jets for the first time in over 30 years, after its small fleet of Boeing 757s was sold to American Trans Air in 1989/90.

In the process the SilkAir brand itself will disappear, as the airline is fully merged into SIA before the end of the 2021/22 financial year.

Where’s next?

Following the initial announcement that these aircraft would serve Phuket from 4th March 2021 and Brunei from 15th March 2021, SIA has now revealed that four additional ex-SilkAir routes will be operated by the Boeing 737-800 in the coming months:

• Phnom Penh (from 17th March 2021)
• Colombo (from 1st May 2021)
• Yangon (from 1st May 2021)
• Mandalay (from 2nd November 2021)

Update 24th February 2021 – Singapore Airlines has added two more routes to the Boeing 737-800’s network from March 2021:

• Chongqing (from 8th March 2021)
• Malé (from 30th March 2021)

Schedules

Phnom Penh is currently being served daily by SilkAir using the same aircraft type. This will be a simple switch across to Singapore Airlines from 17th March 2021, as SQ158/157, retaining daily operation.

 

The group’s Colombo route is currently a three times weekly Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 Regional operation. The firm schedule from 1st May 2021 has not yet been finalised, but it currently shows that three times weekly Airbus A350 Regional overnight operation will continue as SQ468/469, supplemented by four times weekly daytime service with these Boeing 737-800s as SQ464/465.

 

Yangon is also planned from 1st May 2021, provisionally listed as a three times weekly afternoon Boeing 737-800 operation (SQ764/763) on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, though given the current political situation in Myanmar it’s probably not a definite addition to the passenger network at this stage.

 

Finally Mandalay is added from the start of the northern winter season in November 2021, three times per week as SQ770/769. This seasonal service will operate until 29th January 2022, in common with its most recent SilkAir operation in the northern winter 2019/20 schedule.

 

Update: Chongqing and Malé flights will operate with the following schedules:

   

Phuket and Brunei flights continue with their existing frequencies using Boeing 737-800 aircraft until further notice, as outlined below.

   

Future routes

As Singapore Airlines inducts all nine Boeing 737-800s into its fleet, we can expect current SilkAir routes not already moving to mainline operation to then do so. These currently comprise:

• Cebu
• Kathmandu
• Kuala Lumpur
• Medan

So far Singapore Airlines has not announced any cities for its Boeing 737-800s that have not previously been SilkAir routes, however the carrier suggested in January this year that we could also expect pure-SIA routes to join the fold in due course.

More SilkAir routes will be progressively transferred to SIA as nine 737-800 NGs join [the fleet].

SIA will also operate the aircraft to points within its current network…

Singapore Airlines, Q3 Business Update

With a range of around 6 hours, that includes options across much of the airline’s current Asia-Pacific network, potentially as far afield as Perth and Shanghai.

Deploying these narrow-body aircraft on cargo-light routes while passenger demand remains low, as opposed to using Airbus A350s or Boeing 787s for example, will help the airline better manage costs potentially for years to come as demand gradually returns post-COVID.

Which aircraft?

The nine Boeing 737-800 aircraft we are expecting to move across from SilkAir to Singapore Airlines are identified below, with seven of these already repainted in SIA colours.

SilkAir Boeing 737-800 aircraft moving to SIA

Registration	Age (years)	Current Livery	Fate
9V-MGA	7.1		Transfer to SIA
9V-MGB	7.0		Transfer to SIA
9V-MGC	6.9		Transfer to SIA
9V-MGD	6.8		Transfer to SIA
9V-MGE	6.6		Transfer to SIA
9V-MGF	6.5		For disposal
9V-MGG	6.4		For disposal
9V-MGH	6.4		For disposal
9V-MGI	6.1		For disposal
9V-MGJ	5.9		For disposal
9V-MGK	5.8		Transfer to SIA
9V-MGL	5.6		Transfer to SIA
9V-MGM	5.5		Transfer to SIA
9V-MGN	5.5		Transfer to SIA
9V-MGO	4.9		For disposal
9V-MGP	4.8		For disposal
9V-MGQ	4.4		For disposal

The new fleet will therefore comprise five of SilkAir’s oldest 737-800s, with an average age of 6.9 years, plus a newer batch of four younger jets averaging 5.6 years old.

It’s not known what will happen to the remaining eight SilkAir aircraft not being transferred to SIA, however these are likely to be returned to lessors and/or sold as appropriate.

Don’t miss our full rundown of what to expect on board these narrow-body aircraft, from food and drink to windowless seats, entertainment options and cabin crew uniforms, as they start to enter service with SIA from March 2021.

Summary

Once all nine Boeing 737-800s have moved across from SilkAir to Singapore Airlines, there should easily be a dozen or more routes operated by the single-aisle fleet, so this initial tranche of announcements is only part way there.

Another aircraft type we’ll be watching closely is the Boeing 737 MAX 8, also due to move from SilkAir to Singapore Airlines and boasting flat-bed Business Class seats, seat back entertainment systems and Wi-Fi connectivity.

By the time leisure travel returns in earnest, flying on a smaller Singapore Airlines aircraft than usual is something many of us will have to adapt to on a variety of routes.

(Cover Photo: Singapore Airlines)