Singapore Airlines has defended its new business class seats after the cabin's grey-and-yellow colour palette drew criticism online, saying the colours, materials and finishes were carefully selected. The airline responded on Wednesday, 11 November, after content creators and travel writers likened the look of the new seats to a dental chair.

Much of the reaction since the seats were unveiled has focused on the grey-and-yellow palette. The seats were developed by Singapore Airlines in collaboration with seat manufacturer Recaro and creative design firm Designworks, part of the BMW Group.

Responding to questions from CNA, a Singapore Airlines spokesperson said the new seats were "designed to enhance comfort, privacy, and functionality, while supporting a more seamless travel experience".

"The colours, materials, and finishes were carefully selected to create a fresh, contemporary, and refined ambience, complemented by adjustable in-flight LED lighting throughout the journey," the spokesperson added.

What the new seats offer

The airline pointed to the features behind the design, including full-grain premium leather upholstery, sliding privacy doors, an electronically powered centre divider, enhanced ergonomics, a full-flat bed and a spacious footwell that gives passengers greater freedom of movement while resting.

The new business class is laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, so every seat has direct aisle access. The seats convert into a full-flat bed up to 79 inches long and 24 inches wide, with a seat pitch of 50 inches. Singapore Airlines said frequent flyers who attended the launch praised the privacy, spaciousness and comfort of the seats, along with the larger display screen, enhanced charging options, intuitive physical seat controls and the companion-bed configuration for couples travelling together.

The airline said it appreciated the feedback on the cabin's colour palette and remained committed to offering a world-class end-to-end travel experience. "As with all our products, we will continue to closely monitor feedback and draw on operational insights to refine and enhance elements of the customer experience," it said.

Part of a wider cabin overhaul

The national carrier unveiled its next-generation long-haul cabin products on 6 November, including new first class suites with double beds, the redesigned business class seats with sliding doors, and upgraded premium economy and economy class cabins.

Singapore Airlines is investing more than S$2 billion, about US$1.57 billion, in the new cabin products across all four cabin classes, which it has described as a key part of its elevated end-to-end travel experience. The new first class cabins were designed by PriestmanGoode, while the premium economy and economy cabins were designed by Factorydesign, with the three cabin classes manufactured by Collins Aerospace.

Passengers will have to wait to try the new seats. The cabin products will be introduced progressively from the second half of 2027 on the airline's 41 retrofitted Airbus A350-900 long-haul and ultra-long-range aircraft, as well as its new Boeing 777-9 fleet. The business class will have 54 seats on the Boeing 777-9, 42 on the long-haul Airbus A350-900 and 70 on the ultra-long-range A350-900.

Design that divides opinion

The row over the colour scheme shows how closely airline cabins are now judged the moment they are revealed, with images shared and debated online within hours of a launch. Singapore Airlines has chosen to stand by its design team, arguing that the look was a deliberate choice and that the seats should be judged on how they feel in flight.

Whether travellers agree will become clearer once the first retrofitted aircraft enter service in the second half of 2027. Until then, the grey-and-yellow palette remains the most talked-about feature of a cabin the airline says was built around privacy, space and sleep.