Singapore Airlines has added two more destinations to its route map, commencing flights to Cairns (CNS) on Monday and flights to Darwin (DRW) on Tuesday. It boosts the number of Singapore Airlines destinations in Australia to seven and the number of weekly flights to and from Australia to over 160.

Singapore Airlines returns to Cairns

On Monday afternoon (local time), SQ203 glided in over the mountains to land in Cairns, marking the return of Singapore Airlines Group passenger services to the Northern Queensland city. Between 2015 and 2020, subsidiary SilkAir flew into Cairns. Back in the dark recesses of time - the 1990s, Singapore Airlines also operated Airbus A310 flights into Cairns.

Now, the airline is back. Flying three times a week, SQ203 will push back from Singapore (SIN) at 08:45 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the six-hour and 40-minute flight down to CNS. SQ203 touches down in Cairns at 17:25. After a fast turnaround, the same aircraft operates SQ204 back to Singapore, departing Cairns at 18:15 and arriving in Singapore at 23:00 on the same day.

Former SilkAir Boeing 737-800NGs (now freshly decked out in Singapore Airlines livery) will operate this sector. The narrowbody Boeing seats 162 passengers, including 150 passengers in the economy class cabin and 12 passengers in the business class cabin.

"Operating the 737-8 will deliver customers a lie-flat Business Class product and seat back in-flight entertainment across both economy and business class cabins, allowing our customers to enjoy our famous Singapore Airlines service in absolute comfort," says Louis Arul, Singapore Airlines Regional Vice President for the Southwest Pacific.

"The first direct flight from Singapore for two years opens up visitor markets in Asia and the Western world thanks to the excellent connectivity of Singapore Airlines," adds North Queensland Airports Chief Executive Officer Richard Barker. "It will be the first in a line of international routes into the region, which we anticipate will continue to grow as we regain the confidence of overseas visitors to travel to Australia once again."

Singapore Airlines touches down in Darwin on Tuesday

Meanwhile, Darwin will have also seen its first Singapore Airlines passenger service touch down by the time of publication. While SilkAir also flew to DRW until the pandemic, Singapore Airlines branded planes last regularly flew passengers into the Top End capital in 1999.

Operating Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, SQ251 will leave Singapore at 08:30 for the four hour and 45 minute run down to Darwin, landing there at 14:45. After just 60 minutes on the ground, the same Boeing 737-800 operates SQ252 back to Singapore, taking off from DRW at 15:45 and landing in Singapore at 19:00.

"This is a significant milestone for Darwin as we welcome Singapore Airlines back to the Top End of Australia," says the Northern Territory's Tourism Minister Natasha Fyles. "Having flights between Darwin and Singapore will provide easy access for international tourists from all our key source markets and beyond."

"The return of Darwin to our global network shows our confidence in the Australian market and emphasizes the fact that Australia's recovery since opening its international borders in November continues to gather pace," adds Louis Arul.

The first Singapore Airlines Boeing is on track to touch down in Darwin at 14:45 (local time) on Tuesday.