One of the busiest routes at Singapore Changi Airport is Melbourne in Australia, with six airlines currently operating a total of 79 flights per week in each direction between the two cities, a record high and a substantial increase from pre-COVID levels.

Now there’s news that Emirates, a longstanding operator on the popular city pair except during the COVID-19 pandemic, will cease its daily service in late March 2025.

This will leave Singapore Airlines as the sole carrier offering a First Class cabin option on the Singapore – Melbourne route from April 2025 onwards.

Singapore Airlines has increased its Melbourne flight frequencies from 32 to 35 per week, as highlighted in our recent deep dive into the carrier’s busiest routes. However, total seat capacity remains lower than pre-COVID levels, due to the deployment of smaller aircraft.

Nonetheless overall capacity between Singapore and Melbourne across all airlines has now reached record levels, with the recent introduction of “fifth freedom” service by Turkish Airlines potentially being the final factor that tipped the balance for Emirates.

Emirates Singapore – Melbourne service ending

Emirates operates its three-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on regular daily flights between Singapore and Melbourne, as an extension to one of its four daily Dubai – Singapore connections, including “fifth freedom” traffic rights, which allow the carrier to sell seats and offer award tickets solely between the Lion City and Australia on these services.

It has now been announced that this connection will end from late March 2025.

• Final SIN-MEL EK404 flight: 29th March 2025
• Final MEL-SIN EK405 flight: 30th March 2025

Emirates has stated that affected passengers booked on this route will be offered alternative travel arrangements, or a full refund.

In the past, Emirates even used its Airbus A380 superjumbos on these Singapore – Melbourne flights, though it has deployed smaller Boeing 777-300ERs for many years, and services were suspended completely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s how the schedule looks for this service, between now and the end of its operation.

Singapore Melbourne
Now – 29th / 30th March 2025

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	EK404 777-300ER
SIN 10:10		MEL 20:35
Duration: 07:25
	EK405 777-300ER
MEL 03:25		SIN 08:05
Duration: 07:40

While the 10am departure from Singapore with 8.30pm landing into Melbourne offered a nice timing, the return sector departing Melbourne after 3am local time often meant bleary-eyed travellers touching down in Changi just after 8am the same morning.

Emirates also previously operated “fifth freedom” flights between Singapore and Brisbane, until 2019.

The airline now offers Singapore – Phnom Penh services under the same traffic rights, a route first launched in May 2024, which will soon become its only “fifth freedom” operation from Singapore.

Emirates proposed a Singapore – Penang “fifth freedom” link back in April 2020, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic put pay to those plans, which have never resurfaced.

Emirates and Qantas partnership

The termination of this route also marks a shift in the strategic alliance between Emirates and Qantas, established in 2013.

The alliance, which enables both carriers to collaborate on pricing, scheduling, and marketing, was initially approved by Singapore’s Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCS) with the stipulation that seat capacities on routes like Singapore – Melbourne and Singapore – Brisbane – city pairs served by both airlines at the agreement’s inception – be maintained.

However, in recent years, both airlines have pursued the removal of these capacity obligations.

Emirates withdrew from the Singapore – Brisbane route in 2019 after the CCCS lifted its requirements. Similarly, this latest decision to end the Melbourne – Singapore service follows a public consultation in August 2024, during which Emirates and Qantas contended that the highly competitive landscape of the Singapore – Melbourne sector alleviates concerns about reduced competition.

“The highly competitive nature of services [on the SIN-MEL route], with competition from Singapore Airlines Group and the entry of Turkish Airlines, will continue to constrain [Qantas Airways Limited and Emirates]”

Qantas and Emirates application request to CCCS

Emirates will continue to codeshare on Qantas flights between Singapore and Melbourne after its own service ends on the route from late March 2025, as part of the alliance between the two carriers.

• QF35/36 (EK5035/5036)
• QF37/38 (EK5031/5032)

This arrangement allows Emirates to sell seats on Qantas’ twice-daily Singapore – Melbourne flights and other Australian routes, including Brisbane and Sydney.

EK404/405 will be a nonstop Dubai – Melbourne service

These EK404 and EK405 flights aren’t going away completely.

Instead, from 30th March 2025 they will be delinked from Singapore and converted into a third daily non-stop service between Dubai and Melbourne, operated by Boeing 777-300ER.

The new schedule is as follows.

Dubai Melbourne
EK404/405 service
From 30th / 31st March 2025

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	EK404 777-300ER
DXB 21:15		MEL 17:40*
Duration: 13:25
	EK405 777-300ER
MEL 23:55		DXB 07:00*
Duration: 14:05

* Next day

At the same time, these flights will upgrade to a four-class refitted Emirates Boeing 777-300ER, including Premium Economy and the latest Business Class cabin products – effectively the A380 seats but installed on the 777 instead.

Emirates also offers two additional daily non-stop Dubai – Melbourne flights, both operated by Airbus A380 aircraft.

Four times daily Singapore – Dubai service continues

Even after Emirates ceases the daily Singapore – Melbourne extension of its EK404/405 service in late March 2025, the carrier will continue to operate four times per day on the Singapore – Dubai route.

This will take the form of a new EK314/315 flight, which will also use Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, offering similar timings to the existing EK404/405 service.

Here’s how Emirates’ Singapore – Dubai schedule looks for the northern summer 2025 season.

Singapore Dubai
30th March 2025 – 25th October 2025

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	EK353 A380
SIN 00:50		DXB 04:15
Duration: 07:25
	EK349 777-300ER
SIN 01:40		DXB 04:55
Duration: 07:15
	EK315 777-300ER
SIN 10:35		DXB 13:55
Duration: 07:20
	EK355 A380
SIN 21:00		DXB 00:40*
Duration: 07:40

* Next day

Dubai Singapore
30th March 2025 – 25th October 2025

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	EK348 777-300ER
DXB 02:20		SIN 14:05
Duration: 07:45
	EK354 A380
DXB 03:30		SIN 15:00
Duration: 07:30
	EK352 A380
DXB 10:05		SIN 21:45
Duration: 07:40
	EK314 777-300ER
DXB 21:00		SIN 08:35*
Duration: 07:35

* Next day

Loss of First Class awards

Since Qantas stopped flying its Airbus A380s between Singapore and Melbourne back in March 2020, only Singapore Airlines and Emirates have offered a First Class option on the route.

With the end of this Emirates service, Singapore Airlines will become the sole carrier offering First Class on the route from late March 2025.

Award seats in this cabin are still available on selected dates from Singapore to Melbourne, priced at 102,000 Emirates Skywards miles + S$88 in taxes and fees.

You can also redeem in this cabin for 107,700 Qantas points each way.

Going forward, it will only be the Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 flights offering First Class on this route, available at the following one-way award rates:

• Saver: 93,500 KrisFlyer miles
• Advantage: 155,000 KrisFlyer miles

Was increased capacity to blame?

Emirates has cited intense competition on the Singapore – Melbourne route as a key factor in its decision to discontinue this service from March 2025.

Travellers now have up to 12 daily flights to choose from on this route, operated by Emirates, Jetstar, Qantas, Scoot, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines. Emirates has an 11% share of the market by seat capacity, as of January 2025.

Notably, Turkish was the most recent addition to the roster, with the introduction of three weekly “fifth freedom” flights in March 2024, extending its Istanbul – Singapore service to the Australian city on selected days.

Here’s how current weekly flight frequencies and capacity look for the Singapore – Melbourne route, based on the week of 20-26 January 2025, compared to pre-COVID (20-26 January 2020).

Singapore – Melbourne Flight Frequencies & Capacity (one-way, per week)
Airline		Pre-COVID Jan 2020	Current Jan 2025	Change
Emirates	Flights	7	7	—
	Seats	2,520	2,520	—
Jetstar	Flights	2	7	250%
	Seats	670	2,345	250%
Qantas	Flights	14	14	—
	Seats	5,264	3,786	28%
Scoot	Flights	12	13	8%
	Seats	4,340	4,835	11%
Singapore Airlines	Flights	32	35	9%
	Seats	9,385	9,009	4%
Turkish Airlines	Flights	—	3	n.m.
	Seats	—	987	n.m.
All Airlines	Flights	67	79	18%
	Seats	22,179	23,482	6%

n.m. – not measurable

While there have been some capacity reductions, particularly by Qantas and Singapore Airlines, both of which now operate smaller aircraft on Melbourne flights compared to pre-COVID levels, overall flight frequencies and seat availability between Singapore and Melbourne have reached an all-time high.

This increased competition has likely contributed to the challenges faced by Emirates in maintaining the viability of its daily service on the route.

During the quieter northern summer season this year, 19,849 seats per week in each direction will be available on the Singapore – Melbourne route, following the withdrawal of daily Emirates flights, almost exactly matching the pre-COVID level of 19,899 seats per week seen in the summer 2019 season.

Emirates’ decision to end its Singapore – Melbourne service from March 2025 marks the end of an era for the airline’s “fifth freedom” operations between Singapore and Australia, ceasing a route it has served for 28 years.

The Middle East carrier has cited intense competition as a key factor in its decision, amid the growing presence of other airlines, including the recent addition of Turkish Airlines, which has led to record capacity levels on the route.

With this change, Singapore Airlines will become the sole provider of a First Class option between Singapore and Melbourne.

Although overall seat capacity will decline slightly, travellers will still have a wide variety of flights to choose from between Singapore and Melbourne across five airlines, with a mixture of full service and low cost options.

Meanwhile Emirates’ strategic partnership with Qantas means it will retain a foothold in this competitive market, albeit via a codesharing arrangement.

(Cover Photo: Emirates)