Boeing 777-300ER Deployment Expands Premium Capacity on New Zealand Service
SINGAPORE — Singapore Airlines will restore First Class service to Christchurch, New Zealand, in May 2027, ending an absence of approximately 25 years as the carrier upgrades its daily route from Singapore with a four-cabin Boeing 777-300ER.
Beginning May 1, 2027, the airline will replace the three-cabin Airbus A350-900 Long Haul currently serving the route with a Boeing 777-300ER. The change will introduce First Class while expanding capacity in Business Class and Premium Economy.
The deployment represents more than a cabin upgrade for Christchurch Airport. It will be the first time the Boeing 777-300ER has operated as a regularly scheduled aircraft on the Singapore-Christchurch route.
First Class Returns to New Zealand’s South Island
Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER features four First Class seats arranged in a single-row, 1-2-1 configuration. Each passenger receives direct aisle access, while an open area behind the two center seats allows cabin crew to move between the aisles without passing directly through the main passenger area.
The cabin uses the airline’s 2013 First Class product. Although the seats do not have the privacy doors planned for Singapore Airlines’ forthcoming First Class cabin, they remain the carrier’s principal conventional First Class offering.
Outside the Suites cabin available on the Airbus A380, the 2013 seat has become Singapore Airlines’ only remaining traditional First Class product following the retirement of the older seats installed on non-ER Boeing 777-300 aircraft.
The Christchurch deployment is also notable within the airline’s broader network. The city will become the longest route to receive a First Class cabin since Singapore Airlines began operating the Boeing 777-300ER on its Amsterdam services earlier in 2026.
Aircraft Change Adds Seats Across Premium Cabins
The Boeing 777-300ER will increase total capacity on the route from 253 seats aboard the Airbus A350 Long Haul to 264 seats. Although the overall increase is limited to 11 seats, most of the additional capacity will be concentrated in premium cabins.
Business Class passengers will continue to receive Singapore Airlines’ 2013 Business Class seat in a 1-2-1 layout. The primary difference will be the arrangement of the cabin.
On the Airbus A350, Business Class includes a larger forward section followed by a smaller four-row cabin. The Boeing 777-300ER instead places a compact three-row Business Class section immediately behind First Class, with a larger Business Class cabin located behind the aircraft’s second door.
The smaller section could appeal to travelers seeking a quieter and more intimate premium cabin. Premium Economy capacity will also increase as part of the aircraft change.
Daily Flight Schedule Remains in Place
Singapore Airlines currently operates one flight each day in both directions between Singapore Changi Airport and Christchurch Airport.
Flight SQ297 from Singapore to Christchurch will begin operating with the Boeing 777-300ER on May 1, 2027. The return service, SQ298, will transition to the aircraft on May 2. The scheduled flight time is 10 hours and 50 minutes.
At the time the schedule was published, the airline had assigned the Boeing 777-300ER to SQ297 through Sept. 24, 2027, and to SQ298 through Sept. 25.
However, reservations remain subject to Singapore Airlines’ 355-day booking window. That means flights may appear in the operational schedule beyond the dates initially available for purchase.
The deployment covers part of the Northern Hemisphere summer, which generally corresponds with the quieter winter travel period in New Zealand.
Singapore Airlines Marks Four Decades in Christchurch
The aircraft upgrade builds on Singapore Airlines’ 40-year history in Christchurch. The carrier’s inaugural flight, SQ388, arrived on Oct. 8, 1986, using a Boeing 747-200. The original weekly service returned to Singapore through Auckland.
As demand increased, the airline expanded the route to twice-weekly operations in 1988, three weekly flights in 1992, four in 1995 and five by the end of the decade. Daily service began in 2004, while seasonal supplementary flights were introduced in 2013 to accommodate higher demand during New Zealand’s summer.
First Class was available during the route’s first 16 years aboard the Boeing 747-200, Boeing 747-300, Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-300.
The cabin disappeared in 2002 when the two-class Boeing 777-200ER became the route’s primary aircraft. The Airbus A350 Long Haul took over in January 2019 and introduced Premium Economy, but Business Class remained its highest cabin.
By returning First Class and increasing premium capacity, Singapore Airlines is strengthening its long-standing Christchurch service while offering additional choices to business and leisure travelers connecting New Zealand’s South Island with Singapore and the carrier’s wider global network.
