Singapore Airlines (SIA) will be upgrading its regional brand SilkAir, and in the process will be phasing it out and merging it to the SIA brand in the next few years.

The airline will be investing SGD $100 million (USD $74.5 million) to upgrade SilkAir aircraft interiors with new lie-flat Business Class seats, and seat-back inflight entertainment systems for all passengers.

Singapore Airlines expects the cabin upgrades to start in 2020, citing there needs to be time for dealing with seat suppliers and to complete the necessary certification processes. While there is no official timeline for the eventual brand merger, the SilkAir brand will be phased out after "sufficient number of aircraft have been fitted with the new cabin products."

“Singapore Airlines is one year into our three-year Transformation Programme and today’s announcement is a significant development to provide more growth opportunities and prepare the Group for an even stronger future,” said SIA CEO, Mr Goh Choon Phong.

Goh further added that: “Importantly, it will be positive for our customers. It is another example of the major investment we are making to ensure that our products and services continue to lead the industry across short-, medium- and long-haul routes.”

Silk Air was launched in 1989 as Tradewinds the Airline, and renamed SilkAir in 1992. It operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft, though it will phase the A320s to become an all-737 fleet over the next few years. It currently serves 49 destinations in 16 countries such as Australia, Japan, and China.

The upgrade and eventual merger plans for Singapore Airlines with its SilkAir brand is consistent with its efforts to optimize the company's network and operations.

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