Singapore Airlines Fleet: December 2021

Singapore Airlines had a bumper end to 2021 with an expansion of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) programme to a total of 24 countries, 21 of which the carrier is now serving with regular passenger flights, allowing an expansion of the operating passenger fleet to over 100 aircraft for the first time since the pandemic hit.

36 aircraft are still in storage, either at Changi or in Alice Springs, though only 15 of these are due to return to service, with the others for sale or disposal.

Highlights for the end of the year were undoubtedly the re-entry into service for the new and refitted Airbus A380s, plus the debut of the Boeing 737-8 MAX with new cabin products.

To round off the year, the airline will take delivery of its 57th Airbus A350 on 29th December 2021.

Fleet totals

Here are the Singapore Airlines passenger fleet totals at 29th December 2021.

	CAAS Database:	144
	Recently delivered: For disposal:	+2 -21
	In Service:	125
	In maintenance / stored:	-15
	Active:	110

The official registered aircraft data in combination with recent retirement announcements and analysis of actual flight movements over the last few weeks allows us to determine the actual ‘in service’ fleet (available to the airline) of 125 planes at 29th December 2021, 110 of which were recently active.

  Click here to see the official CAAS list of registered aircraft in Singapore at 2nd December 2021.

SIA Passenger Fleet at 29th December 2021

This table shows the Singapore Airlines fleet including how many of each aircraft type are legally registered (‘Registered’), available to the airline (‘In Service’) and currently operating revenue passenger or cargo flights (‘Active’).

Type	Registered	In Service	Active
A350-900	27	27	27
A350-900 Regional	22	22	22
A350-900 ULR	7	7	7
A380-800 v1	4	0	0
A380-800 v2	3	2	0
A380-800 v3	10	10	7
737-800	13	9	8
737-8 MAX	10	10	6
777-200	6	0	0
777-200ER	1	0	0
777-300	2	0	0
777-300ER	26	23	18
787-10	15	15	15
Total	146	125	110

All the airline’s remaining registered Boeing 777-200s, Boeing 777-200ERs and Boeing 777-300s will not be returning to the fleet, in addition to five older Airbus A380s, three Boeing 777-300ERs and four Boeing 737-800s.

These are therefore excluded from the ‘In Service’ column.

This reflects a future fleet of 125 aircraft, plus future near-term deliveries of Airbus A350s, Boeing 737-8 MAXs and Boeing 787-10s.

Here’s a graphical look at the active vs. stored fleet.

Farewell Airbus A330s

The final Airbus A330 to leave the Singapore Airlines fleet and return to its lessor was 9V-SSI, which was flown to storage in Spain on 16th October 2021.

Singapore Airlines flew a total of 34 Airbus A330s between February 2009 and April 2020, with a peak fleet of 29 of the aircraft active during 2015.

These aircraft were only leased on five-year terms, initially as a stop-gap due to production delays for SIA’s Boeing 787s and Airbus A350s, though additional leases were later signed for the A330s, while some lease terms were extended.

Those still in service around the world after being returned by SIA include aircraft now flown by Brussels Airlines, Air Canada, Oman Air and TAP Air Portugal.

You can see a full list of ex-SIA Airbus A330s now with new operators here, and a list of those in storage here.

Welcome back A380s

The introduction of more VTLs has given Singapore Airlines the confidence to start reintroducing some of its Airbus A380s to passenger service, for the first time since March 2020.

A series of round-trips to and from Kuala Lumpur came first in early November, followed by regular daily service to London, then Sydney.

Further expansion for the A380s in 2022 includes:

• Mumbai from 10th January 2022
• Delhi from 14th February 2022
• Frankfurt from 27th March 2022
• New York from 27th March 2022

Meanwhile two older A380s, 9V-SKG and 9V-SKH, have been scrapped at Changi for spare parts.

That leaves 17 Airbus A380s in the registered SIA fleet, five of which have been retired and will not re-enter service, as shown in the following table.

Singapore Airlines A380 Fleet
(27th December 2021)

Aircraft	Current Location	Version	Fate / Status
9V-SKF	SIN	V1	Retired
9V-SKI	SIN	V1	Retired
9V-SKJ	SIN	V1	Retired
9V-SKK	ASP	V1	Retired
9V-SKL	ASP	V2	Future Refit & Re-entry
9V-SKM	SIN	V3	In Service
9V-SKN	SIN	V3	In Service
9V-SKP	ASP	V2	Retired
9V-SKQ	SIN	V2 (V3 pending)	Refit & Re-entry
9V-SKR	SIN	V3	Stored
9V-SKS	SIN	V3	Stored
9V-SKT	SIN	V3	In Service
9V-SKU	SIN	V3	In Service
9V-SKV	SIN	V3	In Service
9V-SKW	SIN	V3	Stored
9V-SKY	SIN	V3	In Service
9V-SKZ	ASP	V3	Stored

We understand all six Version 1 aircraft (9V-SKF to -SKK) and one Version 2 aircraft (9V-SKP) will be leaving the fleet (-SKG and -SKH having already being dismantled).

Ten A380s now have the new 2017 cabin products installed, five from new and another five completed refits.

9V-SKQ’s refit should be finished next, leaving only 9V-SKL to be done. 9V-SKZ also needs to be flown back from Alice Springs, but does not require any cabin modifications.

The first Boeing 777-300ER is retired

Back in May 2021 Singapore Airlines confirmed that four of its Boeing 777-300ERs would be retired from the fleet following a write-down process, with the carrier confirming to Mainly Miles that 9V-SWA, 9V-SWD, 9V-SWE and 9V-SWF are the affected aircraft.

The first of those, and oldest in the fleet, has now departed for its new life in the USA.

Here’s 9V-SWA on a test flight in late September 2021, devoid of its Singapore Airlines titles.

The aircraft was flown to Victorville in the USA on late October 2021, and is destined to join Spanish charter and corporate operator Privilege Style in the coming months.

Boeing 737 MAXs enter service

November saw the reveal of Singapore Airlines’ latest narrow-body Regional Business Class and Economy Class products on the Boeing 737-8 MAX, following their refit from SilkAir configuration and the lifting of restrictions on the aircraft type by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

Here are our dedicated articles covering the new cabins, to help you know what to expect on board.

The first MAX entered revenue service on 23rd November 2021 between Singapore and Phuket, and all six ex-SilkAir aircraft have now joined the active fleet.

Singapore Airlines Boeing 737 MAX Fleet

Active MAX Fleet
Reg.	Age	SIA First Service	Livery	Location
9V-MBA	4.2 yrs	28 Nov 2021 (SIN-HKT)		SIN
9V-MBB	4.1 yrs	6 Dec 2021 (SIN-PNH)		SIN
9V-MBC	4.0 yrs	23 Nov 2021 (SIN-HKT)		SIN
9V-MBD	3.7 yrs	17 Dec 2021 (SIN-KUL)		SIN
9V-MBE	3.6 yrs	4 Dec 2021 (SIN-HKT)		SIN
9V-MBF	2.8 yrs	24 Nov 2021 (SIN-HKT)		SIN

Since late November Singapore Airlines has been taking delivery of brand new MAX aircraft from Boeing every 10 days or so, with four additional aircraft arriving over the last month as shown below.

Singapore Airlines Boeing 737 MAX Recent Deliveries

MAXs Under Refit
Reg.	Age	Delivered	Livery	Location
9V-MBG	2.7 yrs	25 Nov 2021		SIN
9V-MBH	2.6 yrs	4 Dec 2021		SIN
9V-MBI	2.4 yrs	14 Dec 2021		SIN
9V-MBJ	2.4 yrs	25 Dec 2021		SIN

These retain their SilkAir livery and cabin configuration, since that was the original intention for the aircraft, and so they will now be progressively refitted to the new SIA standard before entering service.

One of the aircraft will join the active fleet by 31st March 2022, with the other three listed above plus four upcoming deliveries entering service post-refit in the 2022 / 23 financial year.

Last Boeing 737-800 sold

Back in August we reported how Singapore Airlines had sold seven of its eight owned former SilkAir Boeing 737-800s to Virgin Australia, as follows:

Only 9V-MGJ and -MGQ are still in Singapore, with the others already delivered to Brisbane for refit to the Virgin Australia configuration.

The airline has now secured the sale of its final owned Boeing 737-800, 9V-MGO, which departed on 30th November 2021 for a slightly more glamorous life as a private jet with the Dubai Royal Flight.

The remaining nine Boeing 737-800s in the SIA fleet are on operating leases, which expire in 2024 (five aircraft) and 2025 (four aircraft). They will be replaced by future Boeing 737-8 MAX deliveries.

A350 Freighters

One side of the fleet we don’t normally pay much attention to is Singapore Airlines’ seven dedicated Boeing 747-400F cargo aircraft.

These range from 16 to 21 years old, and so the airline has been identifying replacement options over the last few years.

On 15th December 2021 Singapore Airlines announced that it had selected the new Airbus A350F freighter aircraft to replace its Boeing 747-400Fs, signing a letter of intent with Airbus for the purchase of seven aircraft, which will start to arrive in late 2025.

The agreement includes purchase options on a further five A350Fs, which SIA says will provide “the ability to adapt our requirements to future demand in the cargo market”.

The A350F offers 40% better fuel efficiency than the Boeing 747-400F, but can carry an almost identical cargo payload over a slightly longer range, according to the following data released by Singapore Airlines.

	Airbus A350F	Boeing 747-400F
Length	70.61m	70.7m
Max Take Off Weight	319 tonnes	395 tonnes
Max Payload	109 tonnes	116 tonnes
Volume	728 m3	738 m3
Range	4,700 nm	4,500 nm
Engine	Rolls-Royce TXWB-97	Pratt & Whitney PW4056

As part of the deal, Singapore Airlines will reduce its order for passenger Airbus A350 aircraft by two (from 67 to 65) and also reduce its Airbus A320neo commitment (for Scoot) by 15, from 33 to 18.

Fleet activity by registration

Here’s a breakdown of the SIA fleet of passenger aircraft based on recent revenue passenger or cargo-only flight activity, based on an analysis conducted on 27th December 2021.

Airbus A350s

The Airbus A350-900 long-haul fleet was fully active in July 2021, with all 27 aircraft flying revenue services over the last two weeks.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-SMA	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SMB	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SMC	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SMD	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SME	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SMF	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SMG	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SMH	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SMI	SIN	25 Dec 21	2
9V-SMJ	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SMK	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SML	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SMM	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SMN	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SMO	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SMP	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SMQ	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SMR	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SMS	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SMT	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SMU	SIN	19 Dec 21	8
9V-SMV	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SMW	SIN	24 Dec 21	3
9V-SMY	SIN	25 Dec 21	2
9V-SMZ	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SJA	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SJB	SIN	27 Dec 21	0

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

A brand new Airbus A350 long-haul variant, 9V-SJE, is due for delivery on 29th December 2021.

Update: 9V-SJE’s delivery now appears to be have been postponed twice.

All Airbus A350-900 Regional aircraft were flying recently.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-SHA	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHB	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHC	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SHD	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SHE	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHF	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHG	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHH	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHI	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SHJ	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHK	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SHL	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHM	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHN	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SHO	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SHP	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHQ	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHR	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHS	SIN	25 Dec 21	2
9V-SHT	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SHU	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SHV	SIN	27 Dec 21	0

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

All of the airline’s Airbus A350-900 ULR aircraft are in service, covering daily San Francisco and New York JFK services.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-SGA	SIN	25 Dec 21	2
9V-SGB	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SGC	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SGD	SIN	22 Dec 21	5
9V-SGE	SIN	24 Dec 21	3
9V-SGF	SIN	23 Dec 21	4
9V-SGG	SIN	25 Dec 21	2

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

Airbus A380s

With the Airbus A380 fleet back in action in November and December 2021, 7 aircraft are being regularly used on daily London and Sydney links.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-SKF	SIN	24 Mar 20	643
9V-SKI	SIN	20 Mar 20	647
9V-SKJ	SIN	20 Mar 20	647
9V-SKK	ASP	21 Mar 20	646
9V-SKL	ASP	27 Mar 20	640
9V-SKM	SIN	22 Dec 21	5
9V-SKN	SIN	24 Dec 21	3
9V-SKP	ASP	24 Mar 20	643
9V-SKQ	SIN	26 Mar 20	641
9V-SKR	SIN	19 Mar 20	648
9V-SKS	SIN	25 Dec 21	2
9V-SKT	SIN	21 Dec 21	6
9V-SKU	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SKV	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SKW	SIN	26 Mar 20	641
9V-SKY	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SKZ	ASP	30 Mar 20	637

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

SIA has confirmed 12 of its A380 aircraft will be remaining under current plans for the post-COVID recovery, all to be fitted with new cabin products before returning to service.

Boeing 737-800s

8 our of the 9 Boeing 737-800s that moved across from SilkAir to Singapore Airlines remain in regular service with the mainline carrier, with only 9V-MGM taking a break this month.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-MGA	SIN	19 Dec 21	8
9V-MGB	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-MGC	SIN	15 Dec 21	12
9V-MGD	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-MGE	SIN	25 Dec 21	2
9V-MGH	SIN	11 Apr 21	260
9V-MGJ	SIN	25 Apr 21	246
9V-MGK	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-MGL	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-MGM	SIN	1 Dec 21	26
9V-MGN	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-MGP	SIN	20 Apr 21	251
9V-MGQ	SIN	27 Mar 20	640

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

SilkAir’s last passenger flight was on 6th May 2021, from Kathmandu to Singapore. Don’t miss our tribute to the regional subsidiary’s rich 29-year history.

Boeing 737-8 MAX

All six of the SIA’s Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft transferred from SilkAir are now in regular service, with four recently delivered aircraft still to undergo their cabin refits.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-MBA	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-MBB	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-MBC	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-MBD	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-MBE	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-MBF	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-MBG	SIN	To enter service
9V-MBH	SIN	To enter service
9V-MBI	SIN	To enter service
9V-MBJ	SIN	To enter service

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

Four further MAX aircraft already built by Boeing and stored in the USA will join the fleet between now and March 2022.

Boeing 777-200 / -200ER / -300s

One of Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 777-200s stored at Changi for over two years following a failed sale attempt, 9V-SQJ, was scrapped at Changi alongside two older Airbus A380s.

Additionally, one of the seven Boeing 777-200s SIA was leasing to the now-defunct NokScoot and being stored at Alice Springs (9V-SRF) has been sold and will enter service with Eastern Airlines following conversion to a freighter aircraft, a process now ongoing in Kansas City, USA.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-SRG	ASP	1 Feb 20	695
9V-SRH	ASP	23 Mar 20	644
9V-SRJ	ASP	7 Jun 20	568
9V-SRL	ASP	24 Mar 20	643
9V-SRP	SIN	24 Mar 20	643
9V-SRQ	SIN	15 Jun 20	560

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

Both 9V-SRP and 9V-SRQ were returned from Alice Springs to Singapore in early April 2021, presumably in preparation for disposal / sale.

Meanwhile all 2 of the airline’s Boeing 777-200ERs stored in Alice Springs (9V-SVB and -SVC) have also left to join Eastern Airlines as freighters, leaving only 9V-SVE for sale.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-SVE	ASP	21 Mar 20	646

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

There are still two retired Boeing 777-300 (non-ER) aircraft in the fleet, also for disposal.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-SYF	SIN	10 Apr 20	626
9V-SYH	SIN	5 May 20	601

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

Boeing 777-300ERs

18 of SIA’s 26 Boeing 777-300ERs were active over the last two weeks, the highest level we’ve seen since the pandemic thanks to their deployment on several VTL routes.

The other 8 aircraft are stored at Changi or Alice Springs, though as we know (following the retirement of 9V-SWA), -SWD, -SWE and -SWF will also not rejoin the fleet, leaving only 5 to be activated again.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-SWB	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SWD	SIN	19 Mar 20	648
9V-SWE	SIN	1 Feb 21	329
9V-SWF	SIN	28 Sep 20	455
9V-SWG	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SWH	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SWI	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SWJ	SIN	4 May 20	602
9V-SWK	ASP	1 Aug 21	148
9V-SWL	ASP	13 Mar 21	289
9V-SWM	SIN	24 Dec 21	3
9V-SWN	SIN	24 Dec 21	3
9V-SWO	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SWP	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SWQ	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SWR	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SWS	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SWT	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SWU	SIN	9 Dec 21	18
9V-SWV	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SWW	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SWY	SIN	5 Dec 20	387
9V-SWZ	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SNA	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SNB	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SNC	SIN	27 Dec 21	0

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

The VTLs have marked a shift-change for the Boeing 777-300ER fleet, which was predominantly operating cargo-only flights after the onset of the pandemic, though these aircraft are now increasingly being used for passenger services too.

Routes include Paris, London, Sydney, New York and Jakarta, including the First Class cabin.

Boeing 787-10s

All of SIA’s 15 Boeing 787-10s are currently active, flying a mixture of passenger and cargo-only flights.

Aircraft	Location	Last flew	Days ago
9V-SCA	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SCB	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SCC	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SCD	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SCE	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SCF	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SCG	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SCH	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SCI	SIN	26 Dec 21	1
9V-SCJ	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SCK	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SCL	SIN	22 Dec 21	5
9V-SCM	SIN	25 Dec 21	2
9V-SCN	SIN	27 Dec 21	0
9V-SCO	SIN	27 Dec 21	0

‘Last flew’ dates relate to the aircraft’s last revenue passenger or cargo-only flight.

Alice Springs storage

There are currently 16 SIA group aircraft in storage at Alice Springs, as outlined in the following table.

SIA Group aircraft stored in Alice Springs
Airline	Aircraft	Total
	Airbus A380	4
	Boeing 777-200	4
	Boeing 777-200ER	1
	Boeing 777-300ER	2
	Airbus A320	3
	Boeing 787-8	2

Some of these (like the Airbus A380 Version 3 aircraft) will be returned to service, while some others (like the Boeing 777-200ERs) will eventually be sold.

Fleet development plan

Based on the latest CAAS aircraft register at 2nd December 2021, recent deliveries, and SIA’s latest financial update, here’s how the registered SIA fleet should develop over the next eight months, between now and March 2022.

Registered Passenger Aircraft Fleet

Aircraft Type	Fleet Totals
	29 Dec 2021	Leaving	Joining	31 Mar 2022
A350-900	27		2	58
A350-900 Regional	22
A350-900 ULR	7
A380-800	17	5		12
737-8 MAX	10		4	14
737-800 NG	13	4		9
777-200	6	6		—
777-200ER	1	1		—
777-300	2	2		—
777-300ER	26	3		23
787-10	15		5	20
All Types	146	21	11	136

There are still 11 aircraft to be delivered in the next three months, including five Boeing 787-10s.

This table assumes that aircraft being withdrawn will have been formally deregistered by 31st March 2022. That might not be the case, though either way they certainly won’t be returned to revenue service.

Here’s how the latest total SIA Group orders for fleet modernisation and replacement looks.

SIA Group Orders
(incl. via lessors)

The final few months of 2021 saw a flurry of fleet activity for Singapore Airlines, as the carrier’s home country widened quarantine-free travel lanes to several European countries, the USA and Australia.

Seeing the Airbus A380s back in service sooner than many expected is perhaps the biggest boon, but there’s also been the introduction of the Boeing 737 MAX with all-new cabin products in recent weeks.

On the farewell list we’ve seen the last of the A330s and the first of the Boeing 777-300ERs depart for pastures new, as the fleet is continuously modernised.

Overall, SIA is now actively flying 110 passenger aircraft, including practically all its Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s.

Even the freighter fleet is getting a future boost, with 7 brand new A350Fs replacing the ageing 747-400Fs in the years ahead.

Stay tuned for the next fleet update in early 2022.

(Cover Photo: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock)