Scoot has grown to be a major low-cost carrier in the Asian aviation landscape. The airline operates a 50+ aircraft fleet with a clear distinction between operations: Boeing on long haul, Airbus on medium haul and Embraer on regional flights.
In this Guide:
- Complete Scoot Fleet List (Table)
- Boeing 787 Dreamliner: Long-Haul Specs & Seat Maps
- Airbus A320 Family: Regional Workhorses
- Embraer E190-E2: The “Explorer” Fleet
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Complete Scoot Fleet List (Table)
| Aircraft Type | In Service | Business (ScootPlus) | Economy | Total Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 787-8 (Regional) | 8 | 21 | 314 | 335 | No crew bunks; Limited range |
| Boeing 787-8 (Long-Haul) | 5 | 18 | 311 | 329 | Fitted with crew bunks for Europe flights |
| Boeing 787-9 | 10 | 35 | 340 | 375 | High-density long-haul configuration |
| Airbus A321neo | 12 | – | 236 | 236 | Highest capacity narrowbody |
| Airbus A320neo | 12 | – | 186 | 186 | Standard regional workhorse |
| Airbus A320-200 (ceo) | 6 | – | 180 | 180 | Oldest aircraft; Being phased out |
| Embraer E190-E2 | 9 | – | 112 | 112 | 2-2 seating; No middle seats |
Boeing 787 Dreamliner: Long-Haul Operations
Scoot is one of few low cost airlines operating wide body aircraft. The airline is also part of an even smaller subset of airline who has been doing it successfully.
Scoot has chosen the Boeing 787 for its long haul operations. Specifically it opted for the mid-sized -9 variant and the smallest -8 variant.
Both Scoot Dreamliner variants come in an extremely high density configuration capable of welcoming 375 passengers on the -9 and between 329 and 335 on the -8.
The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Powering the Fleet
Scoot’s Boeing 787 fleet is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. That engine has caused some headaches to the airline between 2017 and 2019.
Defective engine blades in the intermediate pressure turbine and compressor forced the airline to replace them disrupting operations. During this phase the aircraft ETOPS rating reduced from 330 to 140 minutes until the issue was solved.
The Two Class 787 Cabin Configuration
Scoot’s Boeing 787s are the only planes to feature a premium cabin across the entire fleet.
Classes include ScootPlus and Economy Class. ScootPlus is by no means a business class, nor a luxurious experience.
On any full service airline you would classify ScootPlus as Premium Economy. The cabin comes in a 2-3-2 layout with recliner seats and is effectively a “business lite” product.
Economy Class on Scoot is a barebones experience. You get the basics, a seat with a tight 31″ pitch and no seat-back entertainment screens. Access to IFE is only possible via WI-FI streaming.
| Aircraft Family | Cabin Class | Layout | Pitch (Legroom) | Seat Width | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 787 Dreamliner | ScootPlus | 2-3-2 | 38 inches | 19.5 inches | Leather seats; In-seat power; Footrests |
| Boeing 787 Dreamliner | Economy | 3-3-3 | 31 inches | 17 inches | Streaming IFE only; “Scoot-in-Silence” zone available |
| Airbus A320/A321 | Economy | 3-3 | 28-29 inches | 18 inches | Recaro slimline seats; USB power on Neo only |
| Embraer E190-E2 | Economy | 2-2 | 29 inches | 18.3 inches | No middle seats; Largest windows; Quietest cabin |
Exchanging Crew Rest With More Seats
In order to maximize space use and cabin capacity on select routes Scoot also ordered some of its Boeing 787-8 without an overhead crew rest compartment.
These units are identifiable by their higher capacity: 335 seat capacity (21 ScootPlus 314 Economy Class).
Not having an overhead crew rest compartment allowed Scoot to fit an extra row of economy class seats and 3 additional ScootPlus seats.
The tradeoff is in terms of range. These planes can only operate flights to destinations that don’t mandate crew rest. That means effectively limiting the range of these aircraft to 8-9 flying hours, rendering them unable to operate routes to Athens and Berlin.
Airbus A320 Family: The Regional Workhorses
Scoot is in the process of transforming its narrow body fleet. It is moving away from the older generation A320ceo airframes and taking on more A320neo and A321neo planes.
| Aircraft Type | Status | Role | Replacement Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embraer E190-E2 | Active & Delivering | Thin regional routes (Koh Samui Sibu) | Opening new markets previously inaccessible to A320s |
| Airbus A321neo | Delivering | High-volume trunk routes | Replacing older A320-200s to lower seat costs |
| Boeing 787-9 | Stable | Long-haul expansion | Maintaining capacity to Europe and North Asia |
| Airbus A320-200 | Retiring | Spare capacity | Being phased out as leases expire |
The few remaining A320ceos are being phased out. They’ll be part of the fleet only until their replacements come in.
With the newer generation A320-family aircraft Scoot’s fleet is not only gaining in fuel efficiency, it is also up-gauging its capacity.
The A320neo comes with a 186 seat capacity over the 180 of the older A320ceo planes.
The up-gauging is even more a theme with the A321neo where capacity is pushed to the limit. Scoot’s A321neo planes seat up to 236 passengers, which is key in making ultra-competitive routes to expensive airports such as Bangkok and Hong Kong profitable.
Embraer E190-E2: The “Explorer” Fleet
The newest addition to the Scoot fleet is the Embraer E190-E2 with deliveries commencing in April 2024. Scoot ordered the E190-E2 primarily for some specific performance capabilities the aircraft has.
The decision to order this plane was driven by the ‘Koh Samui factor.
In order to operate flights to islands such as Koh Samui, aircraft need to adhere to extremely strict noise and runway limitations. The E190-E2 falls within this set of planes.
Therefore the E190-E2 allows Scoot to break Bangkok Airways monopoly specifically on routes to Koh Samui and other Thai holiday hotspots.
Scoot’s fleet of E190-E2 offer a 112 passenger capacity with an overall better passenger experience than the A320-family, mainly for one reason.
Despite being particularly densely configured the cabin seats are in a 2-2 setup, meaning there are no middle seats.