Overseas carriers are continuing their return to Singapore Changi Airport as global pandemic restrictions ease and operations ramp up, with Star Alliance carrier Ethiopian Airlines confirmed as the latest addition to the schedules from March 2023.
This will mean Africa’s largest airline once again connecting the Lion City to both Addis Ababa and Kuala Lumpur, following a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Passengers will be able to connect onto the rest of the Ethiopian network through its hub, or even take a short hop to and from Malaysia, with redemptions possible from Star Alliance frequent flyer programmes including KrisFlyer.
The schedule
Ethiopian first launched flights at Singapore Changi Airport in June 2017, but discontinued its service in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Changi Airport has announced that the carrier will reinstate four times weekly flights between Singapore and Addis Ababa next March, as shown in the following schedule.
Ethiopian Airlines
Singapore – Addis Ababa
(from 25th March 2023)
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
ET639 787-8 |
||||||||
| SIN 02:00 |
ADD 05:50 |
||||||||
|
ET638 787-8 |
||||||||
| ADD 23:20 |
SIN 14:50* |
||||||||
* Next day
Ethiopian flights used Changi Terminal 3 prior to the pandemic, but the operating terminal for these services has not been confirmed at the time of writing, so this could become another T2 addition.
Addis Ababa is Ethiopian’s hub and represents only the the third direct connection on the continent from Changi, after Cape Town and Johannesburg.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ethiopian Airlines to Changi Airport again. Ethiopian Airlines has been consistently voted as the Best Airline in Africa, and the network from its Addis Ababa hub connects with more than 60 destinations on the African continent. The flight between Singapore and Ethiopia will offer more travel options for passengers from our region to Africa.”
Mr Lim Ching Kiat, Managing Director of Air Hub Development, CAG
Prior to COVID-19, Ethiopian was operating five times weekly on this routing using Boeing 787-8 aircraft, so this reinstatement of four times weekly service with the same type represents 80% of pre-pandemic capacity for the carrier to and from Singapore.
Flights will use 270-seat Boeing 787-8 aircraft with the following configuration:
- 24 Business Class
- 246 Economy Class
“We are delighted to continue our service to Singapore, which was suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The flight will further expand our network in Asia and create air connectivity for passengers travelling between Africa and Singapore.”
Mr Mesfin Tasew, CEO, Ethiopian Airlines
Regionally, Ethiopian Airlines already serves Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Manila, through a mixture of non-stop and one-stop services.
Ethiopian Airlines Business Class
Ethiopian Airlines has 19 Boeing 787-8 aircraft in its fleet, but has two different ‘Cloud Nine’ (Business Class) seat types installed:
Both configurations have 24 seats in a 2-2-2 layout and are used interchangeably on the network, so it’s nearly impossible to know which one you’ll have until you step on board.
Neither of these products provide the benefit of direct aisle access for all passengers, but for couples, they probably remain a good option.
Singapore – Kuala Lumpur flights
Ethiopian also has “fifth freedom” traffic rights on its Singapore – Kuala Lumpur services, which are an extension to its long-haul Addis Ababa flights, and allow the carrier to tap two markets with one flight number, but also to sell seats solely between these regional cities.
As a result, the flight timings are a little strange.
Ethiopian Airlines
Singapore – Kuala Lumpur
(from 25th March 2023)
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
ET638 787-8 |
||||||||
| SIN 15:50 |
KUL 17:10 |
||||||||
|
ET639 787-8 |
||||||||
| KUL 23:15 |
SIN 00:35* |
||||||||
* Next day
If you really need to maximise your day in KL and return to Singapore as late as possible, the ET639 option could be a good one, operating over 2.5 hours after the last SIA service on this route four days per week.
Award redemptions
Flights on these routes have now been loaded into the schedules, so it’s already possible to book cash fares or redeem miles.
These are the award rates applicable for Ethiopian Airlines flights to or from Singapore.
| Ethiopian Airlines redemption Singapore – Addis Ababa (one-way) |
||
| FFP used | Economy | Business |
 |
43,500 | 69,000 |
 |
30,000 | 56,000 |
 |
40,000 | 67,500 |
 |
48,000 | 81,000 |
| Ethiopian Airlines redemption Singapore – Kuala Lumpur (one-way) |
||
| FFP used | Economy | Business |
|
8,500 | 21,000 |
|
8,000 | 15,000 |
|
15,000 | 27,500 |
|
17,000 | 30,000 |
Ethiopian is loading two Business Class seats on many of these flights to and from Addis Ababa, with only a small fuel surcharge of around S$10 per one-way award itinerary on top of the mandatory taxes, making it only marginally more expensive than redeeming most routes with SIA.
Note that Ethiopian labels its Boeing 787-8 flights using identifier ‘787’ in the Global Distribution System (industry timetable), the same code Singapore Airlines uses to identify its Boeing 787-10s.
These Ethiopian flights therefore incorrectly label as Boeing 787-10s on SIA’s website, but this is not correct – the Boeing 787-8 is used (Ethiopian does not operate the 787-10).
Remember you can also redeem to subsequent points on the Ethiopian network, often for no additional miles requirement (in the case of Africa).
You can even stretch awards as far afield as South America, with LifeMiles offering a competitive 82,500 miles + US$38 rate from Singapore to Sao Paulo in Business Class.
LifeMiles does not add Ethiopian’s fuel surcharge, so for example even a Singapore – KL booking in Business Class on Ethiopian will set you back exactly the same as it will booking on SIA using that currency (15,000 miles + US$43).
Summary
Ethiopian Airlines will resume four times weekly flights from Singapore to both Addis Ababa and Kuala Lumpur from late March 2023, using Boeing 787-8 aircraft including flat-bed seats in Business Class, though unfortunately some flights still have an angled bed in this cabin.
Award flights on both routes are loaded, with onward connections through the airline’s hub in Addis Ababa to a variety of other destinations, including elsewhere in Africa and to South America.
Even the short Singapore – Kuala Lumpur hop benefits from this additional option four days a week, with a late night redemption option in the return direction that could prove handy for many travellers looking to maximise their day in the Malaysian capital.
(Cover Photo: Ethiopian Airlines)