Singapore Airlines unveils significant boost to Australian flights
The Star Alliance member confirms more A350s will soon be winging their way Down Under.
By Chris Ashton, August 7 2023
Singapore Airlines is beefing up its Australian schedule with an extra 20 flights a week between Perth, Melbourne, Darwin and Singapore rolling out between November 2023 and April 2024, while also signalling aircraft changes for Cairns, Sydney and Adelaide.
Among the key changes are an increased Down Under presence of the Airbus A350, with the quiet and modern aircraft winging its way to Cairns, Melbourne and Perth, plus a first class Sydney switcheroo – replacing the daily A350 departure with a Boeing 777.
Back to pre-2020 levels
A fresh A350 service is being added between Perth and Singapore. Initially jetting off four times a week from November 24, SQ213 and SQ226 will eventually increase to daily from March 31 – restoring the WA capital’s four-times-daily schedule from pre-pandemic times.
The schedule from November 24, 2023 is as follows:
- SQ213 from Singapore to Perth lifts off every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 7:40am, arriving into Perth at 12:55pm.
- On the return, SQ226 bids farewell to Perth at 2:10pm those same four days, touching down into Changi at 7:30pm.
Come March 31, 2024, that will change to daily flights on the following:
- SQ213 from Singapore to Perth departing at 7:15am, arriving at 12:25pm.
- SQ226 will see wheels up from Singapore at 1:40pm, with wheels down at 7:10pm.
The Star Alliance member is opening an all-new SilverKris Perth lounge – housed within the same space as the former Qantas Business Lounge – which is slated to debut before year’s end.
A concept image of the new Perth SilverKris lounge.
Melbourne is also winging its way back to pre-pandemic departure levels, with the introduction of a fifth daily flight – SQ247 and SQ248 – from May 26, 2024, also on an Airbus A350.
Not to be left in the cold, Darwin’s current five-times-weekly Boeing 737 MAX connection will step up to daily from March 31, taking the city’s connections back to pre-pandemic times also.
Changes for Cairns, Sydney and Adelaide
Speaking of the Boeing 737 MAX, Cairns is also set for a schedule change from March 31. It’ll be getting an aircraft upgrade at the same time too, switching from the current 737 MAX – boasting lie-flat business class beds – to an Airbus A350.
Unlike other cities though, Cairns’ total weekly flights will decrease from five to four. However, the larger capacity of the Airbus A350 – 303 seats versus 154 on the Boeing 737 – will more than make up for the loss.
Sydney too will be seeing an aircraft change, plus the return of first class on SQ241/SQ242 when the A350 currently seen on the route is replaced with a Boeing 777 from March 31. This means the city’s four daily flights will be operated by two 777s and two A380s.
Last but not least, Adelaide is set to welcome an additional 238 seats a week from March 31 when the current A350-900 is replaced by a Boeing 787-10.
07 Apr 2021
Total posts 54
Good job Singapore Airlines planes have no emissions, and also exclusively employ Australians, otherwise the Transport Minster would have to knock these back.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1249
But you know, Singapore Airlines doesn't need to ask for the permission to add flights, because Australia and Singapore have had open skies since 2003.
22 Jan 2018
Total posts 102
Wow they are really taking on the Gulfies! They just need more eu destinations though
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
26 Jul 2012
Total posts 37
Amazing!!! So much for QR asking for any expansion! This is just such an example of inconsistency in policy in the aviation sector, and the nepotism that flows from government to this industry!
24 Feb 2023
Total posts 2
Looks like the Adelaide change (787-10) starts a lot sooner than March 31st. I've been changed to it in December this year. Will be 2 x flights several days a week now. The A350 will be a morning flight now with the 787-10 taking the A350's current evening/overnight slot.
03 May 2013
Total posts 671
Meanwhile Qantas serves up old, dirty, poorly catered no wi fi aircraft in competition- all at same price of not more expensive.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 368
Vote with your feet and maybe Joyce’s replacement will finally get it.
15 Dec 2021
Total posts 3
Good to see from end March 2024 that three of the four flights a day to Melbourne will have First Class, with the 777-300ER on three flights and an A350 on the other. But looks like no A380 planned for Melbourne next year just yet. I believe they may be bringing it back to the Frankfurt- JFK route again.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1200
JFK-FRA-SIN is a quandry for SQ. They could definitely use the A380 on the FRA-SIN sector just about all the time but it was often too much for the JFK-FRA sector.
They are currently using the 77W on the route which is probably about right given most of the premium NYC-SIN pax would be using the non-stop A350 services.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Apr 2019
Total posts 1
@AJ on SQ, @reeves35 - SQ is indeed reinstating the A380 between SIN and FRA from 31 March 2024; however, on the daily dedicated SQ326/325 services (replacing the A350-900). In addition to the Australian and German capacity upgrades, SQ is increasing capacity in numerous additional markets including China, Japan and USA. Full details are in the SQ news release on its home page.
15 Dec 2021
Total posts 3
And three out of five when a second A350 flight is reintroduced in May, meaning 3 x 777 and 2 x A350
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 454
I will admit why is it Adelaide that always gets the newest planes last(with the exception of the a330, a350 and now the 787). If history taught us anything with the a310-300(those existed in the late eighties and into the nineties but we were still sharing Jumbos with Melbourne till 1996 when the small Airbus took over for 3 years),the a340-300 between 1999 and 2001 and last but not least 777 from 2001 till 2009.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 473
The simple answer is: the size of the ADL market and the yield (profit) that it returns.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Oct 2016
Total posts 85
Why can they add 20 flights a week, including ending up with 5 daily (!!) to Melbourne, and yet QR can't even get approval for double daily to Aus cities. Completely absurd......
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Mar 2018
Total posts 23
See today's (9 Aug) ABC news feed about how QR is getting around this by listing Adelaide as its departure and destination location on some flights, and flying into and out of the country via Melbourne.
21 Jun 2023
Total posts 2
I flew with SQ to Europe and back at Easter with my partner. The service to and from AU was terrible. It improved coming from Singapore to LHR and from Rome to Singapore.
They also did plane change and removed PE seating ex BNE. It took me 7 months to get compensation so that left a bad taste.
16 Jun 2023
Total posts 4
21 Jun 2023
Total posts 2
Airlines do not seem to take Brisbane seriously. It will be larger that SYD or MEL in time for the Olympics
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