Singapore Airlines suspends flights, cuts all-business class services

Singapore Airlines is to suspend many of its international flights as the worsening global economy takes its toll on travel demand. Flights to India, Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe will be affected.

SIA is also reducing its all-business class service to New York and Los Angeles in the face of the global economic downturn. The 14 weekly Airbus A345 flights will be cut to 10. The non-stop all-business service to New York began in May last year, followed by Los Angeles in August. SIA said its December passenger numbers were down 7.5 per cent year-on-year.

The changes will be implemented very quickly, and will apply until the end of March.

The cuts include:

• Large cuts on the flagship route between Singapore and London, which has only just got the A380. Flights will be suspended on Mondays and Thursdays in March.
• Services between Singapore and Zurich will be reduced from daily to five times a week.
• Flights between Singapore and Hyderabad will be cut to three times weekly from four.
• New Delhi will be trimmed to five times a week from six.
• Bombay (Mumbai) service will be cut to four times a week from five.
• First Class is being abandoned on the shuttle between Singapore and Bangkok, and two flights a day will be cut.