Singapore Airlines (SQ) is investing more than S$2 billion in new First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class seats for its long-haul fleet, with the products entering service progressively from the second half of 2027. That start comes later than the airline’s 2024 plan, which expected the first retrofitted Airbus A350-900 long-haul aircraft to enter service in the second quarter of 2026.

The airline announced the cabins in a press release dated November 6, 2026, alongside a second release presenting what it calls the next chapter of its end-to-end travel experience, unveiled at an event in Singapore where Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow was guest of honour. The new Boeing 777-9 will carry all four new cabin products, while 41 retrofitted A350-900 long-haul and A350-900 ultra-long-range (ULR) aircraft receive the new Business Class seat. First Class will appear on the A350-900ULR fleet for the first time.

What changes in each cabin

According to Singapore Airlines, First Class becomes a private space with curved sliding doors and companion dining, and its centre seats convert into a two-seater sofa or a double bed. Business Class brings improved ergonomics, more privacy, an adaptable personal space and companion beds. Smart cabin controls in both First and Business Class remember a customer’s preferred settings across journeys.

Premium Economy and Economy Class get more space, more comfort and new entertainment options, the airline said. The design work was split among three firms: PriestmanGoode designed First Class, Designworks designed Business Class, and Factorydesign designed Premium Economy and Economy Class. Collins Aerospace manufactures the new First, Premium Economy and Economy seats, and RECARO Aircraft Seating builds the Business Class seat.

The airline said development drew on research with more than 5,000 frequent travellers, customers, staff and industry experts worldwide, through focus groups, interviews, surveys and concept testing. The findings pointed to demand for greater privacy and comfort, intuitive functionality, flexibility and a more connected experience. Lee Lik Hsin, Chief Commercial Officer of Singapore Airlines, said the cabins “are united by the same ambition to make the experience more comfortable, flexible, and rewarding for our customers.”

How the A350 retrofit timeline has moved since 2024

Singapore Airlines first set out the programme in a press release dated November 4, 2024, when it committed S$1.1 billion to a multi-year retrofit installing all-new long-haul cabin products across 41 A350-900 long-haul and ULR aircraft. SIA Engineering Company in Singapore was named to carry out the work. At the time, the airline expected the first retrofitted A350-900 long-haul aircraft to enter service in the second quarter of 2026 and the first A350-900ULR in the first quarter of 2027, with the entire programme targeted for completion by the end of 2030.

The 2024 release listed the planned post-retrofit layouts. The 34 A350-900 long-haul aircraft were to seat 42 in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy and 192 in Economy. The seven A350-900ULR aircraft were to carry four First Class, 70 Business Class and 58 Premium Economy seats. The airline said then that the A350 First and Business Class products used the same seat designs planned for its 777-9, and that full details would be revealed closer to the entry into service of its first 777-9 and first retrofitted A350-900.

The November 2026 figure of more than S$2 billion applies to the new cabin products for both the retrofitted A350s and the 777-9, while the 2024 figure covered the A350 retrofit programme. For scale, AirPro Atlas data has recorded 63 Airbus A350-900s flying in Singapore Airlines service since October 10, 2026.

The 777-9 and the rest of the package

The 777-9 side of the rollout depends on Boeing. In its third-quarter results release dated October 27, 2026, Boeing said the 777X program continued to progress on 777-9 certification flight testing and remained on track for first delivery in 2027. AirPro News covered the program’s final 777-9 human factors testing in June 2026.

The seats arrive with a new version of the KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system. Singapore Airlines lists 4K high-resolution touchscreens, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays on selected aircraft, spatial audio, Bluetooth pairing for personal headphones, a redesigned interface and more than 2,500 entertainment options. The OLED screens go in Business Class on the retrofitted A350-900 long-haul aircraft, in First and Business Class on the retrofitted A350-900ULR, and in Premium Economy and Economy on selected 777-9s. In an October 22, 2026, release, the airline said the new KrisWorld would enter service progressively from 2027.

The same October release said Starlink high-speed connectivity would be introduced progressively from early 2027 on the Airbus A380, A350-900 and A350-900ULR, following its selection of Starlink for Wi-Fi. Singapore Airlines also said it has invested more than S$130 million to renovate, refresh and expand its SilverKris lounges worldwide, including in Singapore. Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said: “This launch is not an endpoint.”

What suppliers and maintenance shops should note

The supplier split is weighted toward one seat maker: Collins Aerospace builds three of the four new seat products, covering First, Premium Economy and Economy Class, while RECARO Aircraft Seating supplies the Business Class seat, the product fitted across all 41 retrofitted A350s as well as the 777-9. For maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work, the 2024 announcement placed the A350 retrofits with SIA Engineering Company in Singapore.

The next markers are Boeing’s first 777-9 delivery, which the manufacturer says remains on track for 2027, and the new cabins entering service on the retrofitted A350s and the 777-9 from the second half of 2027.

China Eastern Airlines (MU) has selected CFM International LEAP-1A engines for 101 new Airbus A320neo family aircraft, a mix of A320neo, A321neo and A321XLR models. The agreement, signed on November 6, 2026, at the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, also covers spare engines and a long-term services agreement.

CFM International announced the selection in a press release dated November 6, 2026. The release is the engine maker’s own account of an agreement first reported in AirPro News coverage of GE Aerospace’s record signings at the expo, and it adds the aircraft models involved, the size of China Eastern’s existing CFM-powered fleet and the history of the relationship. CFM did not disclose the value of the agreement, the number of engines it covers or a delivery schedule.

What the airline and the engine maker said

Xiaoqun He, executive vice president at China Eastern Airlines, said: “CFM LEAP engines are helping us build one of the most modern fleets in the industry.” He said the airline was pleased to strengthen the relationship, and that an airline’s success depends on engine reliability, fuel efficiency, and support and services, which in his view makes CFM a natural partner.

Weiming Xiang, president of CFM Greater China, said the agreement extends a relationship of more than four decades. He said CFM is committed to “the highest standards of reliability, efficiency, and utilization.”

A fleet already built on CFM engines

The new order adds to a fleet that already runs on CFM engines across several aircraft families. According to CFM, China Eastern operates 215 A320neo and A321neo aircraft with LEAP-1A engines, Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with LEAP-1B engines and COMAC C919 aircraft with LEAP-1C engines. The airline also operates more than 380 aircraft with CFM56 engines, including Airbus A320ceo and Boeing 737NG models.

The company profile in the release describes China Eastern, headquartered in Shanghai, as one of three major state-owned Chinese airlines, operating more than 820 aircraft in what it calls one of the youngest fleets in the world. As a SkyTeam member, the airline serves nearly 1,000 destinations in more than 100 countries and regions and carries more than 150 million passengers a year, according to the same profile. The AirPro Atlas lists the SkyTeam carrier with five hubs.

Four decades of CFM engines at China Eastern

China Eastern was CFM’s first customer in mainland China. The relationship dates to 1985, when China Eastern Yunnan took delivery of its first Boeing 737-300, powered by CFM56-3C engines, according to CFM.

GE Aerospace gave figures for the wider GE and CFM engine base in China at the previous edition of the expo. In a release dated November 6, 2025, from the 8th CIIE, it said that it and CFM served more than 60 Chinese airline customers, with more than 7,800 engines in service and nearly 5,000 on order. At that expo, China Eastern signed a purchase agreement for 39 spare engines covering the LEAP-1A, LEAP-1C and CFM56-7B, according to the same release, which describes the LEAP-1C as the only designated foreign engine for the COMAC C919 fleet.

CFM International is a 50/50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, founded in 1974. It describes itself as the world’s leading commercial aircraft engine supplier. Beyond producing the LEAP family, it supports the LEAP and CFM56 fleets in service, and its RISE program develops new propulsion technologies.

Where the LEAP program stands

The agreement comes ten years after the LEAP entered service. CFM said it has delivered more than 10,000 LEAP engines, which have accumulated more than 100 million flight hours.

CFM is upgrading the LEAP fleet with a high-pressure turbine (HPT) durability kit intended to extend time on wing, and a reverse bleed system (RBS) intended to reduce the maintenance burden on airlines. The company said its aims are high engine availability, strong maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) performance, a competitive cost of ownership and aftermarket competition through an open MRO ecosystem. In Greater China, GE Aerospace said in its 2025 release that a network of eight partner or licensed MRO shops, two engine component storefronts and one on-site quick-turn shop covered all GE and CFM engine models used in China. Its Shanghai Lingang quick-turn shop and SSAMC, a joint venture with Air China, both offered domestic LEAP-1C quick-turn capability, and AirPro News has covered SSAMC’s LEAP maintenance work in China.

This is original reporting and analysis by AirPro News.

In July 2026, 69.4% of the 631,678 arrivals reported at US airports were on time, according to the on-time figures in the AirPro Atlas for domestic flights of reporting US airlines.

The gap between the best and worst airports was wide. Kahului International Airport (OGG), Lihue Airport (LIH) and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) each posted 83.1%, while Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) finished last of the 99 ranked airports at 51.5%.

Among airlines, Envoy Air had the highest share of flights arriving on time, 79.8%, and JetBlue Airways the lowest, 55.7%.

The figures come from the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance data. They cover one month, July 2026, and only domestic flights of US airlines that report to the DOT, so they are not a picture of every flight at these airports. A flight counts as on time when it arrives less than 15 minutes after schedule. Cancelled flights count as late, and diverted flights count as late arrivals. The airport ranking includes only the 99 airports with at least 1,000 arrivals in the month.

The most and least punctual airports

Kahului, Lihue and Kona shared the top figure in July 2026, each with 83.1% of arrivals on time. Kahului handled 2,326 arrivals, Lihue 1,485 and Kona 1,415. Cancellations at all of them were low: 13 at Kahului, 8 at Lihue and 7 at Kona.

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) came next at 81.2%, and it did so with 10,374 arrivals, far more than any other airport in the top five. Long Beach International Airport (LGB) completed the top five at 78.6% of 1,196 arrivals, with 8 cancelled.

At the other end of the table, Orlando Sanford had the lowest share, 51.5% of 1,026 arrivals, with 4 cancellations. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) was just above it at 51.9% of 13,874 arrivals. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) recorded 58.1% of 12,115 arrivals, and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) each recorded 58.6%, on 11,173 and 9,181 arrivals.

How the busiest airports did

All five airports with the most arrivals recorded a higher on-time share than the 69.4% for all reported arrivals. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) handled the most, 33,007 arrivals, with 70.1% on time and 1,380 cancellations, the most cancellations among the five.

Denver International Airport (DEN) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) both recorded 73.9%, on 29,500 and 28,623 arrivals, with 239 and 344 cancellations. Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) posted 69.5% of 28,064 arrivals with 679 cancelled. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) led the group at 74.6% of 17,450 arrivals, with 210 cancelled.

Airlines from best to worst

Envoy Air topped the carrier table, with 79.8% of 29,780 flights arriving on time and 441 cancelled (1.5%). Alaska Airlines followed at 75.9% of 31,682 flights, with 0.8% cancelled, and SkyWest Airlines was third at 74.6% of 77,072 flights. Delta Air Lines, at 71.9% of 94,140 flights, and United Airlines, at 71.5% of 74,440, came next.

Allegiant Air had the lowest cancellation rate in the table, 0.5%, with 68.6% of 13,314 flights on time. Republic Airways recorded 68.1% of 32,082 flights, and Southwest Airlines, which flew the most flights in the table at 124,994, recorded 68.0% with 1.1% cancelled. American Airlines reached 65.0% of 89,200 flights and Frontier Airlines 62.5% of 20,482.

A carrier listed in the data only by its code, OH, recorded 59.1% of 21,472 flights with 6.6% cancelled. JetBlue Airways finished last at 55.7% of 23,312 flights and had the highest cancellation rate in the table, 9.8%, ahead of Republic Airways at 9.3%.

AirPro News analysis

The July 2026 tables show that size alone did not decide punctuality. Salt Lake City reached 81.2% with 10,374 arrivals, while San Francisco, with 13,874 arrivals, sat second from the bottom at 51.9%. Among airlines, SkyWest flew 77,072 flights and still placed third, ahead of Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, each of which flew more flights.

Cancellations shaped the bottom of both tables in different ways. LaGuardia, JFK and Reagan National each logged between 966 and 1,111 cancellations, while San Francisco’s 159 points to late arrivals rather than cancellations as the main drag on its figure. On the airline side, JetBlue and Republic had cancellation rates of 9.8% and 9.3%, against 0.5% for Allegiant and 0.8% for Alaska. Because cancelled flights count as late in this measure, a high cancellation rate weighs directly on the on-time share, yet Republic still finished in the middle of the table at 68.1%.

Readers can explore the airports in this story on the busiest-airports view of the AirPro Atlas.