KrisFlyer News Singapore Airlines

SIA boosts capacity to Japan over Christmas and New Year

Additional capacity will feature on Osaka and Fukuoka flights for a short period at the end of December

SQ A380 Sunset Landing (RHL Images)

Some changes to Singapore Airlines flight schedules to and from Japan were published today, indicating a short-term capacity boost during late December 2018 and early January 2019, with double daily A380 flights to Osaka and the Boeing 787-10 taking over from the A330 on some Fukuoka services. Award flights are loaded and availability is good.

The changes

The biggest part of the news is the double-daily operation of the Airbus A380 on the Singapore – Osaka Kansai route.

We’ve written before about A380 service to Osaka this winter because the capacity boost represents one of the longest seasonal periods of superjumbo operation on that route in 2018/19, spanning a full 5 months from 28th October 2018 to 30th March 2019. The news meant over 700 saver Suites were available on the SQ618/619 SIN-KIX A380 flights last time we checked.

While for the rest of the winter season the Boeing 787-10 operates the other daily Osaka rotation (SQ622/623), this flight is also being up-gauged to the A380 for a 9-day period from 26th December 2018 to 3rd January 2019.

Osaka Schedule

Edit 16th October 2018: Singapore Airlines has brought forward the start date for temporary A380 operation on SQ622/623 to 8th December 2018.

From 26th December 2018 8th December 2018 to 3rd January 2019
Flight From / To Aircraft Days
SQ618 SIN0130 – KIX0845 388 Daily
SQ619 KIX1110 – SIN1710 388 Daily
SQ622 SIN1405 – KIX2120 388 Daily
SQ623 KIX2330 – SIN0540* 388 Daily

* Next day. Outside these dates the 787-10 operates the highlighted flights.

Even better for those looking for a Business Class redemption, the second daily service SQ622/623 over this 9-day period will be operated by an A380 Version 2 in 12R 86J 36W 245Y configuration (i.e. 86 Business Class seats, occupying the entire upper deck). The existing A380 flight (SQ618/619) uses a Version 1 aircraft in 12R 60J 26W 333Y config (i.e. 60 Business Class seats).