With Australia starting to reopen its borders for international travel, and a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) or similar ‘bubble’ arrangement between the country and Singapore due to be announced imminently, the Qantas Group is making a return to Changi earlier than planned.
Passenger flights are back on three routes to and from Singapore, including options with the group’s full-service and low-cost carriers, following a long 600-day absence due to the effects of the pandemic.
Melbourne
Melbourne is first out of the starting blocks for Qantas from Singapore, following an announcement by Victoria’s Government that fully vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents will be able to arrive quarantine-free in the city from next month.
[Melbourne – Singapore] flights will be brought forward to 22 November 2021, three weeks ahead of schedule, operating three days per week with A330 aircraft and ramping up to daily from 18 December.
Qantas
On 22nd November QF35 from Melbourne will therefore be the first Qantas passenger flight to arrive at Changi Airport since the pandemic took hold in March 2020.
The Airbus A330 will depart back to Melbourne the following evening on 23rd November as QF36, representing a 608-day gap in operation for the carrier since the last passenger flight, QF52 to Brisbane, departed Changi on 25th March 2020.
Singapore Melbourne
23rd November to
17th December
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
QF36 A330 |
||||||||
| SIN 20:30 |
MEL 07:00* |
||||||||
* Next day
Note: A one-time QF36 service also operates on Tuesday 23rd November
From 19th December
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
QF36 A330 |
||||||||
| SIN 19:40 |
MEL 06:10* |
||||||||
Note: No service on Tuesday 21st December
Melbourne Singapore
22nd November to
18th December
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
QF35 A330 |
||||||||
| MEL 11:50 |
SIN 16:45 |
||||||||
* Next day
From 18th December
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
QF35 A330 |
||||||||
| MEL 12:10 |
SIN 17:05 |
||||||||
Note: No service on Sunday 19th December
There will also be a low-cost option between Singapore and Melbourne, with Jetstar restarting four times weekly flights on the route using its Boeing 787.
Jetstar will also recommence flying four times a week between Melbourne and Singapore using 787 aircraft, a route it hasn’t flown since 2019.
Qantas
These services will restart a little later – from 16th December 2021, the same week Qantas will ramp up to daily Melbourne flights.
Singapore Melbourne
From 16th December
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
JQ8 787-8 |
||||||||
| SIN 21:00 |
MEL 07:20* |
||||||||
* Next day
Note: A one-time JQ8 service operates on Thursday 16th December, instead of Friday 17th December
Melbourne Singapore
From 16th December
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
JQ7 787-8 |
||||||||
| MEL 13:00 |
SIN 17:50 |
||||||||
* Next day
Note: A one-time JQ7 service operates on Thursday 16th December, instead of Friday 17th December
Sydney
The Singapore – Sydney route is naturally up there in the initial Qantas flights ramp-up, and like Melbourne it will also use Airbus A330s initially.
Qantas [Sydney – Singapore] flights will resume on 23 November 2021, four weeks earlier than scheduled, operating three days per week with A330 aircraft. Services will ramp up to daily from 18 December 2021.
Qantas
Schedules show that daily operation has already been brought forward on this route by two weeks since the Qantas announcement, now taking effect from 5th December 2021.