Cabin fever: Airlines rush to refurbish plane interiors to keep competitive edge

[SINGAPORE] Singapore Airlines (SIA) will soon pull the cover off its highly anticipated next-generation cabin products, which are part of its S$1.1 billion retrofit programme for 41 aircraft.

The launch on Nov 6 is in line with a broader industry overhaul – what airline reviewer Aaron Wong, who runs travel hacks website The MileLion, describes as an “aviation arms race”.

Besides SIA, Emirates, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Cathay Pacific and other airlines have also embarked on or announced makeovers for their aircraft interiors in recent years. Some carriers are splashing out as much as US$7 billion on modern features and cutting-edge technology.