SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, has become the first airline to fly the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to Australia.

SilkAir Flight MI-801 touched down in Darwin, Australia on Sunday 7^th January at 2:50pm and was welcomed with a water-cannon salute. There was also excitement on the 8^th January as the airline celebrated the arrival of the MAX 8 into Cairns. The newest aircraft to join the SilkAir fleet, the MAX 8 offers customers an enhanced on-board experience and new cabin products, ensuring a comfortable and pleasant flight.

"We are thrilled to be the first airline to introduce the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 to Australia. The new MAX 8 enables us to offer customers access to new and exciting destinations and paves the way for a new phase of growth." Said Mr. Foo Chai Woo, Chief Executive of SilkAir, commenting on the launch of the MAX 8 to both Darwin and Cairns.

"With the aircraft entering into service, we look forward to inviting customers on-board to enjoy the quality experience that the MAX 8 offers."

The MAX 8 aircraft was first introduced to the fleet on 30 October 2017, with Hiroshima, Japan as its launch route. Currently, the MAX 8 aircraft is also deployed to other longer haul destinations in the network including Kathmandu, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

The Max 8 aircraft features thoughtful refinements to both the Business and Economy Classes. The enhanced Business Class now features a 25% increase in seat pitch (39"to 49") as well as additional seat recline (8" to 12") for added comfort. Beyond the hardware, Business Class customers can also look forward to indulging in gourmet coffee from the world-renowned illycaffè, brewed freshly on-board.

Economy Class seats have also been refined and showcase a sleeker and more ergonomic design. Each seat is fitted with a seat-back tablet and phone holders, accompanied by personal in-seat USB charging ports. Customers onboard the MAX 8 can be assured of uninterrupted, hands-free comfort when enjoying SilkAirs signature in-flight entertainment service, SilkAir Studio, which offers over 100 entertainment options.

As the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir operates the Singapore Airlines Group's narrowbody fleet and extends the Group network by seeding and developing new, exciting destinations in Asia Pacific.

The airline took to the skies in February 1989 as Tradewinds the Airline, before evolving into SilkAir in 1992. In its early days, the airline catered to passengers holidaying in exotic destinations in the region, including Phuket and Tioman. As the carrier developed, regional business destinations such as Phnom Penh, Yangon and Kuala Lumpur were added.

Today, the full service airline operates about 400 weekly flights to 52 destinations in 15 countries. Recent additions to the network include Colombo (Apr 2017) and Hiroshima (Oct 2017). The airline currently has a fleet of 33 aircraft, comprising 3 Airbus A319s, 10 Airbus 320s, 17 Boeing 737-800s and 3 Boeing 737 MAX 8.

For more details on SilkAir, visit:  silkair.com or http://www.facebook.com/SilkAir