Global carrier Singapore Airlines may be converting the entire upper level of its A380 aircraft to business class seating.

Reports say the new seating configuration will begin with the arrival it SIA’s 12th Airbus A380 in May of 2011. The arrangement would likely then continue with the next eight A380s that the Changi-based carrier has on order. Currently, SIA’s A380 jets divide the upper deck between 11 rows of economy class seating in the rear and 16 rows of business class seating at the front.

If the rumours prove to be true, the economy class seating on the upper level will be removed and six additional rows of flatbed business class seating will take the space. This would increase current business class seating by nearly 40%. Singapore Airlines’ business class seating boasts 34-inch wide seats and 55 inches of legroom.

Executives from the Republic of Singapore’s national carrier have generally remained silent about the rumours, however a spokesperson told Australian Business Traveller magazine that it may indeed have a different configuration for some of its new aircraft. The spokesperson added that as of now SIA did not have any specific detail on the new configuration and would be keeping the news confidential.

Meanwhile, sources say that SIA’s existing fleet of A380s would keep its current configuration. The older aircraft would likely serve routes between Singapore and Australia whilst the newer models would serve routes from the USA, Europe and Japan to Singapore.