Last month we reported on Singapore Airlines announcing a surprise suspension for three of its routes to and from mainland China for the second time, with regular flights to Chengdu, Chongqing and Xiamen once again seeing a sudden cessation of service from the end of March 2024.

SIA cited “regulatory reasons” for the suspension (again), saying it was “work[ing] closely with the relevant authorities, as we adjust our network and capacity to China” (again).

Luckily there’s now some positive news to report regarding this trio of routes.

All three suspended cities are coming back, at least partially

All three cities with suspended service will see a reinstatement of regular passenger flights later this month, but in all cases the addition is temporary (for now at least).

• Chengdu will restart on 22nd April 2024, with five times weekly flights, increasing to daily from 29th April 2024, then ending again on 31st May 2024.
• Chongqing will restart on 22nd April 2024, with five times weekly flights, increasing to daily from 29th April 2024, then ending again on 25th October 2024.
• Xiamen will restart on 22nd April 2024, with five times weekly flights, increasing to daily from 29th April 2024, then ending again on 31st May 2024.

Here are the full details of the temporary reinstatements on these routes.

Chengdu

Chengdu is a former SilkAir route that saw 10 times weekly service using a mixture of Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A320 aircraft back in early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but SIA then started its own flights in November 2022 using a three-class Airbus A350 Long Haul just once per week, on Tuesdays.

The first pause in service was a five-week hiatus, after a ‘final’ service on 24th October 2023, with a restart on 3rd December 2023, using Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft.

Flights were operating daily when the route was suspended again, on 30th March 2024.

Now it’s been revealed that Chengdu flights will restart, with a five times weekly service from 22nd April 2024.

22nd April 2024 – 28th April 2024

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ842 737-8 MAX
SIN 12:35		TFU 17:20
Duration: 04:45
	SQ843 737-8 MAX
TFU 18:25		SIN 23:30
Duration: 05:05

During May 2024, the SQ842/843 service will be hiked to daily operation.

29th April 2024 – 31st May 2024

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ842 737-8 MAX
SIN 12:35		TFU 17:20
Duration: 04:45
	SQ843 737-8 MAX
TFU 18:25		SIN 23:30
Duration: 05:05

The route is then suspended again from June onwards according to schedules currently filed, subject to possible future extension if regulatory approvals can be obtained.

There are also no Singapore Airlines Chengdu flights loaded in the schedule for the northern winter season, from late October 2024 to late March 2025, at the time of writing.

Chongqing

Chongqing flights transferred from SilkAir to Singapore Airlines on 8th March 2021, as the regional carrier’s operations were progressively merged into those of the mainline division, initially using Boeing 737-800 aircraft but later upgraded to the larger Boeing 787-10 from July 2021.

Singapore Airlines was then forced to suspend these flights in late March 2023, but they were reinstated in late November 2023, operating three times per week on the Boeing 737-8 MAX.

In the second and most recent suspension, the final Singapore Airlines flight to Chongqing operated on 29th March 2024, departing back to Singapore in the early hours of 30th March 2024.

Under the latest plans, flights will recommence on 22nd April 2024.

Services will initially operate five times weekly.

22nd April 2024 – 28th April 2024

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ818 737-8 MAX
SIN 20:20		CKG 01:15*
Duration: 04:55
	SQ819 737-8 MAX
CKG 02:35		SIN 05:25
Duration: 05:25

* Next day

Here’s how the schedule then looks through to the end of the northern summer season.

29th April 2024 – 25th October 2024

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ818 737-8 MAX
SIN 20:20		CKG 01:15*
Duration: 04:55
	SQ819 737-8 MAX
CKG 02:35		SIN 05:25
Duration: 05:25

* Next day

There are no Singapore Airlines Chongqing flights loaded in the schedule for the northern winter season, from late October 2024 to late March 2025, at the time of writing.

Xiamen

Xiamen was operated daily by SilkAir pre-pandemic before its COVID suspension, and was then restarted on 3rd November 2022 as a weekly Singapore Airlines service, using Airbus A350 Medium Haul aircraft.

The route operated twice weekly on Thursdays and Saturdays, but was suspended last year between late March and early December, at which point it was reinstated on a daily basis using Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft.

The latest (second) suspension of this route kicked in on 30th March 2024, but flights will restart on 22nd April 2024, initially five times weekly.

22nd April 2024 – 28th April 2024

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ868 737-8 MAX
SIN 07:50		XMN 12:25
Duration: 04:35
	SQ868 737-8 MAX
SIN 07:50		XMN 13:00
Duration: 05:10
	SQ869 737-8 MAX
XMN 13:40		SIN 18:15
Duration: 04:35
	SQ869 737-8 MAX
XMN 14:05		SIN 18:25
Duration: 04:20

During May 2024, the SQ868/869 service will be hiked to daily operation.

29th April 2024 – 31st May 2024

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ868 737-8 MAX
SIN 07:50		XMN 12:25
Duration: 04:35
	SQ868 737-8 MAX
SIN 07:50		XMN 13:00
Duration: 05:10
	SQ869 737-8 MAX
XMN 13:40		SIN 18:15
Duration: 04:35
	SQ869 737-8 MAX
XMN 14:05		SIN 18:25
Duration: 04:20

The Xiamen route is then suspended again from June onwards according to schedules currently filed, subject to possible future extension if regulatory approvals can be obtained.

There are also no Singapore Airlines Xiamen flights loaded in the schedule for the northern winter season, from late October 2024 to late March 2025, at the time of writing.

Boeing 737-8 MAX

During May 2024, SIA’s Boeing 737-8 MAX fleet will be operating to 26 destinations following these China reinstatements, in a schedule that will see the type operate 193 weekly departures from Changi, reprsenting around 17% of the airline’s flights.

Here’s how SIA’s Boeing 737-8 MAX route network looks this summer.

We’ve updated our list of Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX routes for the upcoming season to reflect these new route additions.

All of SIA’s Boeing 737-8 MAXs operating these reinstated China flights have new narrow-body cabin products, including flat-bed seats in Business Class and seat-back in-flight entertainment screens in Economy Class.

Here are our dedicated articles covering the new cabins, to help you know what to expect on board.

KrisFlyer award redemption rates

Here’s a breakdown of the KrisFlyer miles needed to redeem on these three China routes.

KrisFlyer Redemption (one-way) Singapore ⇄ China
	Saver	Advantage
Economy	16,500	30,000
Business	34,000	50,000

These award rates also apply to SIA’s Guangzhou and Hong Kong flights.

Do note that SIA’s “North China” flights to and from Beijing and Shanghai fall under a more expensive redemption zone, but both routes also offer Premium Economy and First Class / Suites cabins.

Here are the redemption rates for those services.

KrisFlyer Redemption (one-way) Singapore ⇄ Beijing / Shanghai
	Saver	Advantage
Economy	21,500	40,000
Premium Economy	34,500	n/a
Business	43,000	65,000
First / Suites	58,500	98,000

Travel to China

Thankfully travel to China for Singapore citizens has become increasingly straightforward over the last 15 months or so, following a series of relaxations that progressively saw quarantine and testing requirements abolished, and the issuance of tourist visas once again.

Health declaration forms have been scrapped, and Singapore passport holders are now exempt from any visa requirements for stays of up to 30 days in China, since 9th February 2024.

The 30-day visa waiver covers trips for the following purposes:

• Business
• Sightseeing / Tourism
• Visiting friends and family, or other private affairs

This has doubled the possible visa-free trip length for Singapore citizens from 15 days pre-COVID, adding significant flexibility, but perhaps the biggest beneficiaries are Chinese citizens, who also now no longer need a visa to travel to Singapore for trips of the same duration.

Malaysian citizens were also recently accorded 15-day visa-free travel to China, effective from 1st December 2023. That relaxation is on a trial basis for one year, until 30th November 2024.

Those with Thai passports are now also able to make 30-day visa-free trips to China since 1st March 2024, on a permanent basis.

Singapore residents holding most other nationalities will still need to apply for a visa to visit China, except when travelling to Hainan Island, which allows those with 59 nationalities to travel visa-free for up to 30 days, though onward travel from Hainan to Mainland China for non-Singaporeans is not permitted without a relevant visa.

Singapore Airlines is currently suffering a second round of suspensions for three of its mainland China routes – Chengdu, Chongqing and Xiamen, a situation that became effective in late March 2024.

The good news is that all three are back from 22nd April 2024, initially on a five times weekly basis but quickly being restored to daily service, using Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft.

Unfortunately though, only Chongqing lasts beyond 31st May 2024 at this stage, with Chengdu and Xiamen routes facing the chop again from June.

Even Chongqing operation is not currently extended into the northern winter season from late October 2024, like SIA’s other routes are.

Not only has China lifted all of its COVID-19 travel restrictions, trips for Singaporeans are even more flexible than before with a two-way 30-day visa-free policy now in force, in stark contrast with the apparent regulatory wranglings SIA seems to be continually facing on these routes.

Let’s hope these are temporary issues and this trio of former SilkAir destinations can become reliable year-round services for the carrier once again in due course, without the uncertainty they have faced in recent years.

(Cover Photo: Shutterstock)