Emirates to End 28-Year Singapore-Melbourne Route

Emirates has announced its decision to terminate its 28-year-old route between Singapore’s Changi International Airport (SIN) and Melbourne Airport (MEL). This route, which has been part of Emirates’ network as a fifth-freedom flight, will cease operations following an ongoing review.

According to The Straits Times, Emirates submitted its request to the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) in early August 2024. The final date for the route’s suspension will be determined after the CCCS completes its assessment. This evaluation will consider the potential impacts on capacity commitments within Emirates’ partnership with Qantas.

Fifth-freedom flights, which allow airlines to operate between two foreign countries without the carrier’s home base being involved, include several other routes in Emirates’ network:

• Velana International Airport (MLE) in Malé to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in Colombo
• Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) to Christchurch Airport (CHC)
• Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
• Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH)
• Athens International Airport (ATH) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK)
• Kotoka International Airport (ACC) to Félix Houphouët Boigny International Airport (ABJ) in Abidjan
• Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport (HRE) to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka
• Gbessia International Airport (CKY) in Conakry to Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) in Dakar
• Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) to Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez (MEX) in Mexico City
• Rio de Janeiro International Airport (GIG) to Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires
• Larnaca International Airport (LCA) to Malta International Airport (MLA)

The termination of the Singapore-Melbourne route marks the end of a significant chapter in Emirates’ operational history, impacting both passengers and cargo flows between the two cities. The airline has yet to finalize and announce the exact date for the route’s conclusion, pending the results of the CCCS’s review.

Related news: https://airguide.info/?s=Emirates+Airlines

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, Emirates