Singapore Airlines has been quietly redrawing its map. Since 2024, the Star Alliance carrier has launched or resumed services to eight destinations from its Changi hub, with more still to come through the end of 2026. For anyone flying long-haul via Singapore, that means more options — and some interesting new airports.
The list so far: Brussels came back in April 2024 after a two-decade gap, followed by London Gatwick in June 2024. Beijing Daxing and Sapporo joined the network in late 2024, with Hangzhou returning in June 2026 after earlier stints by sister carriers SilkAir and Scoot. Still ahead: Madrid via Barcelona from October 2026, Riyadh in December 2026, and — the headline-grabber — daily A350 flights to Western Sydney International from November 2026, making Singapore Airlines the first long-haul operator at Sydney's brand-new airport.
The Gatwick story is the most striking. What began as a five-times-weekly workaround for the chronic slot shortage at Heathrow has grown into a twice-daily A350 operation carrying 143,430 passengers in 2025 at an 84% load factor. Between January and July 2027, the airline plans 25% more flights than the same period a year earlier, which will make Gatwick its third-biggest European destination behind Heathrow and Frankfurt, overtaking Paris CDG.
There's more. From October 1, 2027, Singapore Airlines plans to put its Boeing 777-300ER on the Gatwick route for the first time — the first Boeing equipment it has ever flown to a UK airport besides Heathrow. The 264-seat jet will run daily alongside the A350, lifting weekly capacity just 2% but transforming the cabin mix: first class arrives at Gatwick for the first time, with premium economy up 8% and business class up 7%. Economy shrinks slightly. The message is clear — this route now sells premium seats.
Why should travellers care? If you're based in southern England, Gatwick becomes a far more comfortable launchpad to Singapore and onwards to Australia, without the trek to Heathrow. The Riyadh and Madrid-Barcelona additions open new one-stop combinations, and Western Sydney will be the obvious pick for anyone living in the city's west rather than trekking across to Kingsford Smith. Sapporo's return is handy for winter ski trips to Hokkaido, too.
The broader picture: Singapore Airlines runs an average of 235 daily departures from Changi in 2026, serving 82 airports worldwide. It may only be the 11th-largest operator within Southeast Asia itself, but for long-haul and widebody international flying, it remains the region's undisputed leader — and this expansion shows it's doubling down on that strength.
