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Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced its plans to support Australia’s year-end travel peak by substantially increasing its operations across all five major airports in the country starting from late November. Subject to regulatory approval, SIA will introduce a fifth daily flight to Sydney, surpassing its pre-Covid capacity. Moreover, the airline will extend its A380 operations to Melbourne for an additional month before redeploying the superjumbo to Auckland and adding a fifth daily flight to Melbourne.

To enhance connectivity to key destinations in Europe and North Asia, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth will each have four additional weekly services added to their schedules. This move aims to meet the high travel demand expected during the year-end holiday period.

Louis Arul, Singapore Airlines Regional Vice President for South West Pacific, expressed confidence in the robust appetite for travel observed during the current mid-year holiday period, predicting continued elevated demand during the traditionally year-end solid peak. To accommodate this demand, the additional services will provide nearly 7,000 more seats per week between Australia and Singapore, offering customers a more comprehensive range of options for travel during the December/January period.

In Melbourne, SIA’s Airbus A380 will continue to operate on flights SQ237/SQ228 until November 21, extending its presence in the Victorian capital from the previously scheduled end of October. Starting from November 22, an Airbus A350-900 will replace the A380, and SIA will introduce an additional fifth daily service between Singapore and Melbourne using the same aircraft type. This new service, operating as SQ247, will depart Changi Airport at 19:30 and arrive in Melbourne at 05:55 the following day. The return flight, SQ248, will depart Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport at 07:10 and arrive in Singapore at 11:50. Subject to regulatory approval, this fifth daily service will operate until March 31, 2024.

Mr Arul emphasized that adding a fifth daily flight to Melbourne will ensure capacity remains above pre-Covid levels, even with the A380 being deployed to Auckland during the peak holiday period. This expansion will offer enhanced connectivity to various European cities and the UK, providing customers with more travel options tailored to their needs.

The aircraft configuration for flights SQ227/238 will also change, with the A350-900 medium-haul aircraft being replaced by an A350-900 long-haul aircraft. This modification will grant customers the choice of Premium Economy across all five daily flights from Melbourne, increasing the number of premium seats available from the Victorian capital.

Starting on December 2 and pending regulatory approval, Singapore Airlines will introduce a new daily service between Singapore and Sydney using an A350-900 aircraft. This service, designated as SQ261, will depart Singapore’s Changi Airport at 19:05 and arrive in Sydney at 05:55 the following day. The return flight, SQ212, will depart Sydney at 09:05 and arrive in Singapore at 14:15. SQ211 will continue to operate as a 777-300ER, departing Singapore at 10:30 and arriving in Sydney at 21:20. However, it will return to Singapore the following day, departing Sydney at 06:45 as SQ262 and arriving at 11:55.

By adding a fifth daily service to Sydney, Singapore Airlines will surpass its pre-Covid capacity levels, offering customers additional options to connect to its global network of over 110 destinations worldwide. This expansion aims to provide customers with a broader range of departure and arrival times, catering to both business and leisure travellers.

Adelaide will receive an additional four flights per week starting from December 2. SIA plans to operate flights SQ276 and SQ277 on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, pending regulatory approval. SQ277 will depart Singapore at 08:05 and arrive in Adelaide at 17:20. The return flight, SQ276, will depart Adelaide at 18:35 and arrive back in Singapore’s Changi Airport at 22:55 on the same day. Mr Arul expressed delight in supporting South Australia, a growingly popular destination for international visitors, during an anticipated busy period. The increased capacity will offer visitors more opportunities to explore Adelaide’s wineries, summer events, and cultural attractions while improving connectivity for South Australians travelling to the UK and Europe during the year-end holiday season.

Operating on an A350-900 medium-haul aircraft, the Adelaide flights will provide customers with a choice of 40 lie-flat Business Class seats with direct aisle access or 263 ergonomically designed Economy Class seats in a 3-3-3 layout.

Brisbane will witness an additional service operating on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from December 1, 2023, until January 13, 2024. The deployment of an A350-900 medium-haul aircraft will deliver 40 lie-flat Business Class seats with direct aisle access, along with 263 ergonomically designed Economy Class seats in a 3-3-3 layout. Flight SQ265 will depart Changi Airport at 07:15 local time and arrive in Brisbane at 16:55, while the return flight, SQ266, will depart Brisbane at 18:10 and arrive in Singapore at 00:05 the following day. These additional four weekly services will add over 1,200 seats per week to the capital of Queensland, responding to the strong demand for travel to and from Brisbane and ensuring the city’s continued growth as a significant gateway to the region’s attractions.

Starting November 24, 2023, Perth will receive an additional four flights per week with the introduction of SQ213 and SQ226, which will operate until January 14, 2024. SQ213 will depart Changi Airport at 07:40 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, arriving in Perth at 12:55 on the same day. The return flight, SQ226, will depart Perth at 14:10 and arrive back at Changi Airport at 19:30. These new services, operated by SIA’s A350-900 medium-haul aircraft, will provide 40 Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 layout and 263 Economy Class seats in a 3-3-3 layout. The increased frequency will offer visitors from North and Southeast Asia more travel options to Western Australia while also providing outbound flights connecting to key European cities, catering to customers looking to travel from Perth to Europe and the UK.

It is important to note that all additional services are subject to regulatory approval. The tickets for these flights will progressively become available for sale from May 24, 2023.