Singapore Airlines flies to Madrid for the first time on Monday 26 October, when SQ388 leaves Changi at 11.30pm for Barcelona and then the Spanish capital. The same week brings a new Munich service and daily flights to Milan and London Gatwick, in the same week the northern winter schedule starts on Sunday 25 October.
Madrid becomes SIA’s 15th destination in Europe and its second in Spain. The flights run five times a week and, like the other changes, are subject to regulatory approval.
How the Madrid flight works
Madrid does not get a nonstop. SIA is restructuring its twice-weekly Barcelona service, SQ388 and SQ387, so that it carries on to Madrid after a stop in Barcelona.
On the first departure, SQ388 lands in Barcelona at 6.40am on 27 October, leaves again at 7.40am and reaches Madrid at 8.50am. The return, SQ387, leaves Madrid at 10am, calls at Barcelona from 11.15am to 12.35pm, and lands at Changi at 8.25am the next day.
The aircraft is the long-haul version of the Airbus A350-900, with 253 seats: 42 in Business, 24 in Premium Economy and 187 in Economy.
Barcelona stays on the network, but only as the stop on the Madrid flight. The SQ378 and SQ377 service between Milan and Barcelona is cancelled from 27 October.
Milan and Gatwick go daily
Milan, which loses that Barcelona link, gains frequency instead. SQ356 and SQ355 between Singapore and Milan go from four flights a week to daily from 25 October.
London Gatwick also goes daily from 25 October on SQ314 and SQ313. With Heathrow, that gives SIA up to six London departures a day.
Munich adds three flights a week
A new pair of flights, SQ340 and SQ339, starts on 26 October and runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. That takes Munich to 10 SIA flights a week.
Manchester, the first route in this round of changes, has been daily since 13 July.
Perth loses Jetstar for the season
The northern winter changes are not all additions. Jetstar is seasonally suspending its Perth to Singapore flights, with the last service on Saturday 24 October.
Customers booked on Jetstar between Perth and Singapore after that date are being moved onto Qantas flights. Anyone who would rather not fly on the replacement can cancel for a full refund.
