Singapore Airlines replacing A380s with A350s on some Frankfurt flights

Since December 2023, Singapore Airlines has finally had its full post-COVID fleet strength of 12 Airbus A380 aircraft back at its disposal, as the final one emerged from its cabin refit back into service following a two-year period of desert storage in Australia.

This development allowed the airline to return its superjumbos, and their popular Suites cabin, to daily Singapore – Frankfurt flights from late March 2024, but it’s safe to say other routes have not been so lucky.

Maintenance downtime for the A380s has led to temporary replacement of the type across the current summer season on selected date ranges for its regular flights between Singapore and Delhi, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Sydney.

While the maintenance impact is hopefully over by the end of October, there are some other changes looming for this popular fleet that appear to affect Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Shanghai flights over the winter months.

Frankfurt loses A380s in December and January

Singapore Airlines had been scheduling daily Airbus A380 service to and from Frankfurt for the whole of the northern winter 2024 / 25 season from late October 2024 to late March 2025, as shown in the following full schedule on the route.

Singapore Airlines
Singapore – Frankfurt – Singapore

27 Oct 2024

29 Mar 2025

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ326 A380
SIN 10:55		FRA 17:30
	SQ26 777-300ER
SIN 23:55		FRA 06:20*
	SQ25 777-300ER
FRA 11:40		SIN 06:50*
	SQ325 A380
FRA 21:55		SIN 17:15*

* Next day

As you can see, the aircraft operates alongside a daily Boeing 777-300ER service between the Lion City and Frankfurt, which also continues to and from New York JFK.

Unfortunately in the latest schedule update Singapore Airlines has downgauged its SQ326/325 service from the four-class Airbus A380 to the three-class Airbus A350 Long Haul, on 24th December 2024 and then for over two weeks, from 15th January 2025 to 31st January 2025, as highlighted below.

Singapore Airlines
Singapore – Frankfurt – Singapore

24 Dec 2024 (only)
and
15 Jan 2025

31 Jan 2025

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ326 A350 Long Haul
SIN 10:55		FRA 17:30
	SQ26 777-300ER
SIN 23:55		FRA 06:20*
	SQ25 777-300ER
FRA 11:40		SIN 06:50*
	SQ325 A350 Long Haul
FRA 21:55		SIN 17:15*

* Next day

The one-time downgauge on 24th December 2024 is likely to reflect lower demand at the peak of the Christmas holidays. Indeed overall SIA London flights also reduce from four to three per day between 24th and 26th December 2024 for the same reason.

The two-week hiatus in January 2025, however, is likely to be related to a different issue.

Bad news for Suites passengers

While those booked in Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class won’t see too much of a shift in the onboard experience on these flights, it’s a rather devastating blow to those booked in the A380 Suites cabin.

In this case, a downgrade to Business Class can be expected, or potentially a switch to First Class on SQ26/25, subject to availability.

One of our readers has already reported to us that they have been moved from a Suites award redemption to the Business Class cabin automatically on the replacement Airbus A350 aircraft, with the appropriate miles difference refunded.

For some though, the change may arguably completely negate the reason for the trip, and in those cases a full refund should probably be sought.

SIA’s A380 schedule this winter

Here’s how the airline’s Airbus A380 schedule looks for the upcoming winter season, based on GDS timetables as of 12th June 2024.

Are Hong Kong and Shanghai also getting downgauged?

Singapore Airlines is still finalising its flight schedule and aircraft allocation for the upcoming winter season from late October 2024, but there are a couple of things we noticed that should be of concern if you’re expecting to fly on the Airbus A380.

• SQ892/893 Hong Kong flights are being capped at 4 First Class seats for sale between 15th November 2024 and 15th January 2025, and again from 1st February 2025 to 29th March 2025.
• SQ826/827 Shanghai flights have no First Class seats loaded for sale at all between 28th October 2024 and 29th March 2025.

This strongly suggests that SQ892/893 Hong Kong flights will be downgauged to Boeing 777-300ER operation for the vast majority of the winter season, while SQ826/827 Shanghai flights will actually use an Airbus A350 or Boeing 787.

For SQ892/893 Hong Kong flights, only the 16th January 2025 to 31st January 2025 period looks like a safe bet for A380 operation, the same period Frankfurt temporarily loses its A380 service.

It’s likely no coincidence that this covers the Chinese New Year holiday period next year.

Only five A380 routes?

Upcoming downgauges for A380 flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai look fairly certain, so what does that mean for the overall network next winter?

Well, such changes would mean an Airbus A380 network of only five cities between late October 2024 and late March 2025, in a schedule which could be operated by just eight aircraft, with a ninth as a spare.

That seems very limited for a 12-strong fleet.

Last winter daily Singapore Airlines Auckland (SQ285/286) and daily Tokyo Narita (SQ638/637) services were also operated by the Airbus A380, and if those are thrown back into the mix this coming season, the schedule requires 10 aircraft to operate.

That seems much more respectable, and would be great news for those heading to New Zealand or Japan, so watch this space for potential announcements in the weeks ahead.

Currently, SQ285/286 Auckland flights are scheduled using the four-class Boeing 777-300ER, while SQ638/637 Tokyo flights are scheduled using the two-class Boeing 787-10, as they both were this time last year before A380 upgrades were announced.

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Singapore Airlines is downgrading some of its Airbus A380 Frankfurt flights to Airbus A350s this coming winter season, which is bad news if you managed to lock in a Suites booking or award redemption during the affected periods.

At a wider network level, it looks as though both Hong Kong and Shanghai won’t be getting the superjumbo this winter, apart from some Chinese New Year flights to and from the former city, which also coincide with Frankfurt’s temporary A350 operations.

This paves the way for a couple of additional A380 routes to join the fold, perhaps suggesting the return of Auckland and Tokyo to the superjumbo’s roster later in the year.

Watch this space as SIA finalises its winter schedule plans over the coming weeks.

(Cover Photo: Plane’s Portrait Aviation Media / Malcolm Lu)