Singapore Airlines has been battling increasing maintenance requirements for its 12-strong fleet of Airbus A380s since they returned to the fleet from storage post-pandemic, a challenge that has seen the carrier removing the aircraft from various flights and routes recently, in order to maintain a reliable network.

In addition to several cuts last year, for 2025 we’ve already reported on:

• a removal of the Airbus A380 from Frankfurt in late January 2025
• a halving of Airbus A380 flights to London for the whole of February and March 2025
• a halving of Airbus A380 flights to Tokyo – now operating for only a single month (May 2025) instead of two months
• a halving of Airbus A380 flights to Sydney for the month of May 2025

Now there’s news of more reductions to the carrier’s A380 schedule taking effect just a few weeks from now.

SIA removes A380s from Delhi and Mumbai in January 2025

In the latest change to its superjumbo schedules, Singapore Airlines has now removed its Airbus A380 from daily SQ406/403 flights between Singapore and Delhi and from daily SQ424/423 flights between Singapore and Mumbai from 1st January 2025 to 31st January 2025.

In both cases, these services will downgauge to four-class Boeing 777-300ERs.

That’s a very short notice change for passengers, with the first affected flights departing less than four weeks from now.

To compensate for the capacity loss during this period, SIA has added a series of additional flights on the Delhi route that will see it operating three times per day on selected dates during January 2025, instead of the usual two, with an extra service – SQ404/405 – operated by the Airbus A350 Medium Haul or Boeing 787-10.

These will operate at a similar timing to SQ406/403, effectively managing any passenger ‘overflow’ from the short-term aircraft downgrade.

On the Mumbai route, the existing twice weekly SQ426/425 Airbus A350 Long Haul flight, which already supplements regular twice daily service using the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-10 respectively, will be upgraded to five times weekly and see the higher capacity Boeing 787-10 deployed on all days of operation during this period.

The Boeing 787-10 is SIA’s highest capacity aircraft by total seats, after the Airbus A380.

The schedule

Here’s how SIA’s schedule looks on the Delhi route between now and the end of the current winter travel season, in late March 2025, including the temporary withdrawal of A380s and the short-term addition of some new flights.

Singapore Delhi
Now – 29th March 2025

All services operate daily, unless stated

			Aircraft	Dates
	SQ402		787 787-10	Now – 29 Mar
SIN 02:25		DEL 05:40
	SQ406		388 A380	Now – 31 Dec 1 Feb – 29 Mar
SIN 16:25		DEL 20:00	77W 777-300ER	1 Jan – 31 Jan
	SQ404		359 MH or 787 A350 MH or 787-10	2 Jan – 31 Jan^
SIN 17:25		DEL 20:40

^ – Except 8, 19, 20, 22, 26 , 27, 29 Jan

Delhi Singapore
Now – 29th March 2025

All services operate daily, unless stated

			Aircraft	Dates
	SQ401		787 787-10	Now – 29 Mar
DEL 09:45		SIN 18:00
	SQ403		388 A380	Now – 31 Dec 1 Feb – 29 Mar
DEL 21:50		SIN 06:00*	77W 777-300ER	1 Jan – 31 Jan
	SQ405		359 MH or 787 A350 MH or 787-10	2 Jan – 31 Jan^
DEL 22:00		SIN 06:10*

* – Next day
^ – Except 8, 19, 20, 22, 26 , 27, 29 Jan

Here’s the same story for SIA’s Mumbai route over that period.

Singapore Mumbai
Now – 29th March 2025

All services operate daily, unless stated

			Aircraft	Dates
	SQ422		359 MH A350 MH	Now – 29 Mar
SIN 07:45		BOM 10:35
	SQ424		388 A380	Now – 31 Dec 1 Feb – 29 Mar
SIN 18:50		BOM 22:10	77W 777-300ER	1 Jan – 31 Jan
	SQ426 (Tue, Wed)		359 LH A350 LH	Now – 31 Dec
SIN 20:20		BOM 23:30	787 787-10	1 Jan – 29 Jan
	SQ426  (Thu, Fri, Sat)		787 787-10	2 Jan – 25 Jan
SIN 20:45		BOM 23:30

Mumbai Singapore
Now – 29th March 2025

All services operate daily, unless stated

			Aircraft	Dates
	SQ425 (Wed, Thu)		359 LH A350 LH	Now – 31 Dec
BOM 00:45		SIN 08:35	787 787-10	1 Jan – 29 Jan
	SQ425  (Fri, Sat, Sun)		787 787-10	2 Jan – 25 Jan
BOM 00:45		SIN 09:00
	SQ421		359 MH A350 MH	Now – 29 Mar
BOM 11:50		SIN 19:50
	SQ423		388 A380	Now – 31 Dec 1 Feb – 29 Mar
BOM 23:35		SIN 07:30*	77W 777-300ER	1 Jan – 31 Jan

* – Next day

Suites passengers are the worst hit

While this change isn’t a huge deal for those booked in Business Class, Premium Economy or Economy Class, if you snagged a Suites award or forked out cash for this exclusive cabin, the alternative seat you’ll now have isn’t quite on-par.

For Suites passengers already booked on the affected SQ406/403 flights on the Delhi route, or SQ424/423 to or from Mumbai, it will mean the experience changing from this…

to this…

Obviously that’s quite a downgrade and may be enough make you consider whether your miles or cash outlay for this cabin is still worthwhile.

Unfortunately there are no Suites alternatives on these India routes for the whole of January 2025.

However, we do still enjoy the 2013 First Class product installed on the Boeing 777-300ERs, so don’t totally discount it. You can read our review of the product here.

In Business Class the impact is less of an issue, with the newer 2017 seats on the A380 being replaced by the 2013 seats on the 777-300ER, since they are quite similar in most respects.

Do note that if Singapore Airlines has shifted you onto one of the new additional Delhi or Mumbai flights – SQ404/405 or SQ426/425 – then you’ll actually be travelling in the narrower 2018 Regional Business Class seat, which may feel like a downgrade.

The A380s return to India from February 2025

According to Singapore Airlines’ current schedule, both Delhi and Mumbai are expected to see the return of consistent daily Airbus A380 service from 1st February 2025 onwards, including for the northern summer 2025 season from April 2025.

The only exception is from late June to the end of August 2025, when these routes take turns at being downgauged to the Boeing 777-300ER for five weeks each, to support temporary resumption of Shanghai A380 service during that period.

• Singapore to/from Delhi
  Boeing 777-300ER operation
  SQ406/403
  23rd June 2025 – 27th July 2025 (five weeks)
• Singapore to/from Mumbai
  Boeing 777-300ER operation
  SQ424/423
  28th July 2025 – 31st August 2025 (five weeks)

1 in 3 Singapore Airlines A380s will be out of action

The peak flying programme for SIA’s Airbus A380s during the winter 2024/25 season in December 2024 can be operated with just eight A380s, with a ninth as an operational spare.

With both Delhi and Mumbai pulled from the A380’s roster for all of January 2025, then a daily London rotation in February and March 2025, only eight aircraft are needed to fly the superjumbo schedule for almost the remainder of the season.

That comprises only seven A380s to operate the flights plus one kept as an operational spare, indicating that four aircraft – one-third of the fleet – will be undergoing maintenance during this three-month period.

Notably, this extends the maintenance schedule beyond February and March to include January as well.

As we have previously reported, during the last two weeks of January 2025 Hong Kong and Shanghai will see short-term A380 service over the Chinese New Year period.

However, this comes at the expense of the daily SQ326/325 Frankfurt service, which will be downgauged to the Airbus A350 Long Haul for two weeks, meaning the operational A380 fleet requirement remains at eight, even during this period.

Singapore Airlines is not the only carrier struggling with Airbus A380 reliability. British Airways, which also has a 12-strong fleet of the type, has suffered from delays or aircraft downgrades on its A380 routes as well lately, with up to four aircraft at a time out of action.

Just two days ago the airline’s regular daily London – Singapore A380 flight BA11/12 was cancelled due to a technical problem with the aircraft.

The average fleet age of SIA’s A380s and BA’s A380s is remarkably similar – 10.9 years and 10.7 years respectively as of December 2024.

Where are SIA’s A380s flying?

This winter, Singapore Airlines is operating its Airbus A380s consistently to just five cities – Delhi, Frankfurt, London, Mumbai, and Sydney. However, all of these routes, except Sydney, will now experience some form of service suspension at various points during the season, as shown below.

SIA Winter 2024/25 A380 Flights (Now – Mar 25)
Route	Flights	Frequency
Delhi (except 1-31 Jan)	SQ406/403	7 x weekly
Frankfurt (except 26 Dec, 15-31 Jan)	SQ326/325	7 x weekly
Hong Kong (16-31 Jan & 16-29 Mar only)	SQ892/893	7 x weekly
London Heathrow (27 Oct-23 Nov)	SQ322/317 SQ308/319 SQ318/321	7 x weekly 3 x weekly 4 x weekly
London Heathrow (24 Nov-31 Jan)	SQ322/317 SQ308/319	7 x weekly 7 x weekly
London Heathrow (1 Feb-29 Mar)	SQ322/317	7 x weekly
Mumbai (except 1-31 Jan)	SQ424/423	7 x weekly
Shanghai (15-31 Jan only)	SQ830/833	7 x weekly
Sydney	SQ221/232 SQ231/222	7 x weekly 7 x weekly

For a full rundown of SIA’s Airbus A380 flight schedule between now and late March 2025, see our updated guide here.

For the summer 2025 season, where schedules remain provisional for now, Singapore Airlines is showing the following A380 schedule.

SIA Summer 2025 A380 Flights (Apr 25 – Oct 25)
Route	Flights	Frequency
Delhi (except 23 Jun – 27 Jul)	SQ406/403	7 x weekly
Frankfurt	SQ326/325	7 x weekly
London Heathrow	SQ322/317 SQ308/319	7 x weekly 7 x weekly
Mumbai (except 28 Jul – 31 Aug)	SQ424/423	7 x weekly
Shanghai (23 Jun-31 Aug only)	SQ830/833	7 x weekly
Sydney (except 1-31 May)	SQ221/232 SQ231/222	7 x weekly 7 x weekly
Sydney (1-31 May)	SQ231/222	7 x weekly
Tokyo (1-31 May only)	SQ638/637	7 x weekly

Again only five cities will be relatively consistently served by the A380 next summer under current plans; Delhi, Frankfurt, London, Mumbai and Sydney.

Airbus A380 maintenance woes continue to plague the Singapore Airlines fleet, and now the carrier has announced a new pair of service reductions with minimal notice.

For the whole of January 2025, SIA will temporarily replace its daily Airbus A380 flights to both Delhi and Mumbai with Boeing 777-300ERs. To offset the reduced capacity, additional services will be operated on selected dates using regional wide-body aircraft on both routes.

As usual with these downgrades, Suites passengers are the worst affected, with the Boeing 777-300ER First Class seat falling short in the same hard product department.

The changes suggest only eight of the carrier’s 12 Airbus A380s will be operational for almost the first three full months of 2025, a situation which will hopefully improve later next year.

Until then, securing a booking or award ticket on a Singapore Airlines A380 flight – and counting on it to still be operated by the superjumbo by the time the travel date comes around – will remain a challenge.

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