SIA said it would invest US$350m to equip an initial 20 new Boeing 787-10s with new cabins including a fully flat bed in business class and personalised IFE for all passengers. The airline unveiled the new cabins, which will be used on regional routes of up to 8 hours, March 28 following the arrival of the first 787-10 from Boeing. The airline has 49 of the aircraft on firm order, making it the biggest customer for the type. Its first scheduled destinations will be Osaka, Japan and Perth Australia from May. As well as directly reclinable 76” fully flat beds, business-class passengers will all have direct aisle access through a forward-facing 1-2-1 staggered configuration of the Stelia Aerospace-manufactured seats. They will also have personal 18” full high-definition touchscreen monitors, powered by Panasonic’s latest eX3 system. <br/>
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United Airlines is one step closer to expanding its Houston-Havana route, Houston's only service to Cuba. March 30, the US DoT tentatively awarded United and Mesa Airlines authority to begin offering more nonstop flights between Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental and Havana's José Martí International. Once they receive final govt approval, the airlines will expand the route from Saturday-only service to daily service. United plans to operate the route with either Boeing 737-800 mainline aircraft or Embraer E175 regional aircraft, with Mesa operating regional jet aircraft as United Express. United launched its Houston-Havana service in Dec 2016. It’s the only US service to Havana not on the East Coast. <br/>