Routes with stops are always exciting, whether long-haul or short, such as Rex's multi-hop Saab 340 flights. Nowadays, one-stop service mainly exists because a route isn't demanded enough to warrant a non-stop, whether in itself, at a particular time of day, or at a specified frequency. However, it is sufficiently important to an airline to be served, despite the many implications.

It could also be that neither sector (A-B nor B-C) is adequate on its own, yet they are when they're combined. 'De-tagging' is an important way to develop if and when it becomes viable. Not all one-stops have fifth freedom traffic rights, which enable an airline to capture demand between B and C. Here's a look at Singapore Airlines' one-stop passenger operations.

Singapore Airlines' one-stop operations

As summarized below, Singapore Airlines has six one-stop services this year, based on examining the latest OAG data as of February 1st. All but two have fifth freedom rights. The exceptions are domestic legs: for obvious reasons, 'cabotage' is rarely permitted. Five of the six are 'terminator' services. The exception is the only fully intra-Asia service, which operates triangularly.

As you'll probably know by now, Singapore Airlines is removing the A380 from Singapore-Frankfurt-JFK. The A380 first appeared on it in 2013, replacing the 747-400 after a brief interlude by the 777-300ER.

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Throwback to 2019

In pre-pandemic 2019, Singapore Airlines had nine one-stop routes. Five of the six that operate in 2023 existed then, the sole exception being Singapore-Davao-Cebu-Singapore. The two Philippines cities were, of course, previously served by SilkAir, although it routed Singapore-Cebu-Davao-Singapore with the A320 and 737-800.

Singapore Airlines no longer operates the following services. Indeed, it axed Stockholm, Wellington, and Canberra from its network completely in 2020 under the guise of the pandemic, while it 'suspended' Moscow last year because of the war.

• Singapore-Hong Kong-San Francisco; 777-300ER
• Singapore-Moscow Domodedovo-Stockholm; A350-900
• Singapore-Melbourne-Wellington; 777-200ER/A350-900
• Singapore-Sydney-Canberra; 777-300ER

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A look at Wellington and Canberra

The capitals of New Zealand and Australia joined Singapore Airlines' network in 2016. They were mainly tagged, with the carrier routing Singapore-Canberra-Wellington-Canberra-Singapore. It used the 777-200ER on the four-weekly service; I once saw it being turnaround while on a business trip to Wellington.

For example, on February 2nd, 2017, SQ291 departed Singapore at 23:00 and arrived in Canberra at 09:45+1 local time. It left for Wellington at 11:00, arriving at 16:15 local. Returning on the 3rd, SQ292 departed at 21:20 and landed in Canberra at 23:10. Finally, on the 4th, it left at 00:35, arriving home at 05:40.

In May 2018, Singapore Airlines switched to serving Wellington via Melbourne in both directions; it continued to run four weekly. That same month, Canberra started to operate via Sydney in both directions, with the frequency rising to daily. Both ended in March 2020.

Have you flown any of the one-stop routes mentioned in this article? If so, let us know in the comments.

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  Singapore Airlines

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  SQ/SIA

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Singapore Changi Airport

  Year Founded:

  1972

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Goh Choon Phong

  Country:

  Singapore