Singapore Airlines has revealed an unexpected aircraft type change for one of its four daily London Heathrow services, with flight SQ306/305 set to downgrade from the Boeing 777-300ER to the Airbus A350 Long Haul from July 2026, in a provisional schedule update.

While this represents both total capacity reduction and the removal of some First Class seats on what is arguably one of the carrier’s most prestigious routes, it could signal something far more exciting: the debut of Singapore Airlines’ brand new cabin products to one of its most important destinations.

The schedule

SIA’s flight schedule for its London Heathrow route in the summer 2026 season begins as a familiar one, with twice-daily Boeing 777-300ER service (SQ306/305 & SQ318/321) and twice-daily Airbus A380 flights (SQ308/319 & SQ322/317).

However, from 1st July 2026 the Airbus A350 Long Haul is introduced on the route, displacing a Boeing 777-300ER on the daily SQ306/305 rotation, as shown below.

Singapore London Heathrow
From 1 Jul 2026

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ306 A350 LH
SIN 01:10		LHR 07:45
Duration: 13:35
	SQ308 A380
SIN 09:00		LHR 15:45
Duration: 13:45
	SQ318 777-300ER
SIN 12:35		LHR 19:30
Duration: 13:55
	SQ322 A380
SIN 23:00		LHR 05:55*
Duration: 13:55

* Next day

London Heathrow Singapore
From 1 Jul 2026

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ305 A350 LH
LHR 09:25		SIN 05:30*
Duration: 13:05
	SQ317 A380
LHR 11:25		SIN 07:30*
Duration: 13:05
	SQ319 A380
LHR 20:35		SIN 16:45*
Duration: 13:10
	SQ321 777-300ER
LHR 22:05		SIN 18:10*
Duration: 13:05

* Next day

London Heathrow: Strategic importance

London Heathrow holds a special place in Singapore Airlines’ global network. The airport is a key battleground in the competition against Middle Eastern carriers, especially on the lucrative ‘kangaroo route’ between London and Australia.

That’s led SIA to traditionally deploy its highest-capacity, premium-heavy aircraft to maximise both passenger numbers and revenue on this route. Indeed Heathrow is widely known as the airline’s ‘cash cow’, earning the highest revenue of any route pre-COVID, and almost without a doubt today as well.

The carrier was netting over US$2 million (S$2.7 million) per day in revenue on Heathrow flights alone in 2019, 33% more than it made on Singapore – Sydney (S$2.0 million per day) and 68% more than third place Jakarta (S$1.6 million per day).

That’s always made London a high priority destination for Singapore Airlines in terms of capacity and the latest cabin products, and the airline typically ensures a strong First Class presence to and from LHR, making this downgauging decision particularly intriguing.

SIA’s Airbus A350 Long Haul aircraft haven’t been seen on the Heathrow route since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it became the only passenger aircraft type the airline continued operating.

While Singapore Airlines does operate the three-class A350 Long Haul aircraft type to nearby London Gatwick, that’s a less premium-focused destination in the airline’s network hierarchy. Gatwick just ain’t Heathrow.

The new cabin products connection

The timing of this aircraft change becomes particularly interesting when considered alongside Singapore Airlines’ major cabin refresh programme.

The carrier will soon be rolling out a brand new Business Class product on its Airbus A350 Long Haul fleet, a long-awaited retrofit representing its most significant cabin upgrade in years.

The first refitted aircraft is scheduled to emerge from the hangar in the first quarter of 2026, though at least two or three aircraft featuring the new configuration would be needed to support a dedicated daily rotation to London Heathrow. This timeline aligns well with the July 2026 schedule change for SQ306/305.

So, while London Heathrow might not be the first route for the new product (unless a less-than-daily service is initially launched), it does look likely that it will appear at a relatively early stage.

Otherwise this aircraft type downgauge makes little sense.

July, August and September are by far the busiest months for SIA’s Europe flights, with 88-91% average load factors recorded in 2024, compared to around 82% on average for the region across the rest of the year.

The airline occasionally trims its capacity on these routes during their ebb periods – November, February and March – but not in July!

London’s prominent role in SIA product launches

It’s not just a peak-season capacity cut on a lucrative route that ‘connects the dots’ here.

Historically, London has always served as an early showcase destination for Singapore Airlines’ latest long-haul premium cabin products. The pattern is consistent and telling:

• The 2017 Business Class product on the Airbus A380 made its London Heathrow debut in February 2018, just two months after launching on the Sydney route.
• When the 2013 Business Class was introduced on the Boeing 777-300ER in late September that year, it launched on the London Heathrow route, operating three times per week before ramping up to daily service within a month, as more aircraft became available.
• The airline’s first generation Airbus A380 Business Class made its way to London Heathrow in March 2008, less than five months after its Sydney launch.

Perhaps most memorably, Singapore Airlines held the May 2002 launch event for its then-revolutionary ‘SpaceBed’ Business Class seat not in Singapore – but in London.

That bold move came as British Airways had recently introduced its groundbreaking flat-bed ‘Club World’ seat, the world’s first fully flat Business Class product. SIA was determined to showcase its response on its competitor’s home turf, demonstrating the strategic importance it places on the London market.

Naturally, ‘SpaceBed’ also launched on the Singapore – London Heathrow route.

The only way Singapore Airlines can offer its upcoming new Business Class cabin on the London Heathrow route next year is to fly the A350 Long Haul there.

New Business Class: What we can expect

Singapore Airlines hasn’t revealed much about its new Business Class product, though from the images released it will finally (and somewhat unsurprisingly) join the realms of many others on the market today, with the addition of closing privacy doors.

The renderings suggest alternating window-aligned and aisle-aligned seats at each row, which we predicted may be part of the airline’s plans for its future long-haul Business Class cabins in our preview of SIA’s Boeing 777-9 back in 2023.

This layout, also adopted on the carrier’s latest wide-body Regional Business Class cabin, allows for couple / ‘honeymoon’ options at alternate rows in the middle section, and of course we’re hoping that double beds could potentially come into play here for couples.

The airline already offers this arrangement at three bulkhead rows on its Airbus A380s in Business Class, but it can be difficult to secure these, especially for last-minute bookings, so a wider rollout of the option would certainly be welcome.

Otherwise the sneak preview sadly gives little else away, but does remind us somewhat of the latest Qantas Airbus A350 Business Class Safran Unity product, also due to feature on that airline’s Airbus A350s in the years ahead, with couple pairs at alternate middle rows.

Japan Airlines has also opted for the Safran Unity platform for its latest Airbus A350 Business Class, though seats in the middle section remain staggered in this layout – something we’re hoping not to see in SIA’s version.

Here’s SIA’s short teaser video of the new 2026 Business Class seat, so you can start to judge for yourself what to expect.

While there are no further details about the new Business Class cabin at this stage, we can safely expect modern touches like USB-C charging ports, wireless charging pads and bluetooth headphone connectivity to feature.

IFE screens should also inch bigger, along with the general industry trend.

For example, JAL’s latest system in Business Class is a 24-inch 4K high resolution offering, while SIA’s decade-old Boeing 777-300ER Business Class still has 18-inch LCD screens.

Singapore Airlines says the new cabins “will incorporate thoughtful elements that push the boundaries of comfort, luxury, and modernity, allowing our customers to relax or work effortlessly on board”.

We look forward to taking a closer look, and it would be exciting if London Heathrow was indeed on the early inclusion list for this long-awaited upgrade.

SIA’s Airbus A350 Long Haul aircraft with new cabin products will have a slightly different layout post-refit, with five more seats in Economy Class than the current ones.

Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 Long Haul
Cabin	Current	New	Change
Business Class	42	42	—
Premium Economy	24	24	—
Economy	187	192	2%
Total Seats	253	258	2%

However, seat maps loaded for all flights – including these Heathrow ones from July 2026 – still reflect the current version. That’s normal until the first routes are formally announced, otherwise everyone can see which flights are planned to feature the new product in advance!

These cabin refits will also see refreshed Premium Economy and Economy Class seats in the Airbus A350 Long Haul aircraft, though a new First Class seat will be reserved only for Airbus A350 ULR and Boeing 777-9 aircraft from 2027.

KrisFlyer award rates

Here’s a reminder of the number of KrisFlyer miles needed for the Singapore – London route.

KrisFlyer Redemption (one-way) Singapore ⇄ London
	Saver	Advantage
Economy	42,000	70,000
Premium Economy	71,000	n/a
Business	103,500	123,000
First / Suites	141,000	225,500

If you’re hoping to snag an award on SQ306/305 on the chance that it might feature the new cabin products – there’s no award space in Business Class loaded for the flight’s first week of operation from Singapore to London, though space does start to appear from 8th July 2026.

In the return direction though, you can secure an award from London to Singapore right from the first day of the type’s operation on the route – 1st July 2026.

PPS Club members may have access to additional award space, as is the norm.

Of course, we absolutely can’t guarantee that these flights will feature the carrier’s new cabin products, either from 1st July 2026 or even from any specific date thereafter, so do be aware that you would be locking in an award speculatively if that’s your strategy at this early stage!

Singapore Airlines’ decision to introduce the Airbus A350 Long Haul on one of its four daily London Heathrow services from July 2026 appears counterintuitive at first glance. Reducing capacity and removing First Class seats during peak summer season on one of the airline’s most lucrative routes – one that likely generates over US$2 million per day in revenue – defies conventional logic.

However, when viewed through the lens of Singapore Airlines’ product launch history, the move makes more sense. London Heathrow has consistently served as an early showcase for the carrier’s premium cabin innovations, from the SpaceBed launch in 2002 to practically every subsequent long-haul Business Class iteration since.

It strongly suggests the aircraft change is strategic, rather than operational.

Is Singapore Airlines positioning London Heathrow as an early stage destination for its long-awaited new cabin products? Time will tell, but the stars seem to be aligning already.

(Cover Photo: Kevin Hackert / Shutterstock)