Singapore Airlines expands operations in Munich and introduces additional flights to Singapore
Singapore Airlines has announced a new strengthening of its European network, and one of the most important capacity increases concerns Munich. According to the announcement by Munich Airport of May 8, 2026, with the start of the winter flight schedule at the end of October 2026, the company will increase the number of weekly flights between Munich and Singapore from seven to ten. This further positions the Bavarian air hub as one of the more important European access points for travel to Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
According to Singapore Airlines' announcement, the additional flights will be introduced from October 26, 2026 and are planned for the period until March 27, 2027, that is, for the northern winter season 2026/2027. The new flight SQ340 will depart from Singapore on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 12:55 local time, arriving in Munich at 19:10. The return flight SQ339 from Munich to Singapore will depart on the same days at 20:30, and should arrive in Singapore the following day at 15:15.
Three new evening departures from Munich
The biggest operational change for passengers from Munich will be the introduction of additional evening departures to Singapore. Munich Airport states that Singapore Airlines, in addition to the existing daily flights that depart around noon, will in the future also offer evening flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. According to the airport's data, these departures will enable another overnight travel option to Asia, with arrival in Singapore during the afternoon of the following day.
Singapore Airlines stated in its announcement that the three new weekly flights are being introduced as a supplement to the existing SQ328 and SQ327 services to Munich. The company's total offer on this route thus grows to ten weekly flights, but the carrier notes that all flights are subject to regulatory approvals and that the aircraft schedule may change for operational reasons. For passengers, this means that the final details of the timetable and ticket sales should be checked through official sales channels before planning travel.
According to the announcement by Munich Airport, the additional flights are also important because of transfers in Singapore. Alastair Haycampbell, Singapore Airlines' general manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, stated that the new evening departures from Munich create more favorable connections to destinations such as Bangkok, Denpasar in Bali, Koh Samui, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and almost all routes to Australia and New Zealand. Such a timetable is especially important for passengers for whom a transfer in Singapore is part of a wider itinerary, and not only the final destination.
Munich as an important hub for Asia and the Pacific
The expansion of the route comes at a time when Munich continues to recover and strengthen in long-haul traffic. According to Munich Airport's annual traffic report for 2025, 43.4 million passengers passed through that airport, which is 1.8 million more than in 2024 and a growth of 4.4 percent. The same report states that long-haul traffic in 2025 recorded 8.9 million commercial passengers, with growth of 8.5 percent, and exceeded the 2019 level by 5.5 percent.
Such data explain why additional intercontinental frequencies are important for the airport. Munich is not only a departure point for passengers from Bavaria, but also a hub where European and long-haul connections intersect. The airport's annual report also states that the share of transfer passengers in 2025 was 42 percent, which shows that a large part of traffic relies on connections. Additional flights to Singapore therefore have a broader effect than the Munich - Singapore route itself, because they increase the number of possible travel combinations to Asia and the Pacific region.
Oliver Dersch, senior vice president of aviation at Munich Airport, said that the airport is pleased with the further expansion of Singapore Airlines in Munich. According to the airport's press release, he emphasized that passengers will thereby get more choice, greater flexibility and good connections to numerous destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. In commercial terms, the additional frequencies also strengthen Munich's market position in relation to other European hubs that compete for long-haul traffic to Asia.
Cooperation with the Lufthansa Group
An important part of this announcement also concerns Singapore Airlines' cooperation with Lufthansa Group. According to Munich Airport, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa Group, as members of Star Alliance and partners in a joint venture, will after the expansion offer a total of 17 weekly connections between Munich and Singapore. This includes Singapore Airlines flights and additional connections within the partner system, increasing the availability of one of the most important economic and financial points in Asia.
Singapore Airlines, in separate information about the joint venture with Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines, states that the partnership gives customers a wider choice of itineraries and fare products via key European hubs such as Frankfurt, Munich, Zürich and Brussels. In practice, such arrangements can make it easier to combine flights of different partners, especially when travel includes several segments and connections. For Munich, an additional advantage is that the new offer builds on the existing role of the airport as an important European Lufthansa hub.
In the same press release, Munich Airport states that with the introduction of the 2026 winter flight schedule, Singapore Airlines will operate a total of 24 weekly flights directly connecting Frankfurt and Munich with Singapore. This further strengthens the company's presence on the German market, which is important for international carriers because of strong business demand, an export-oriented economy and a large number of passengers who continue via German hubs to other European cities.
Part of Singapore Airlines' broader European expansion
Munich is not the only European destination where Singapore Airlines is increasing capacity. According to the company's press release of May 8, 2026, the carrier will gradually increase frequencies to Manchester, Milan, Munich and London Gatwick Airport, explaining that it is responding to strong demand for travel to Europe and wants to improve connection options at its Singapore hub. The same announcement also announced the launch of a new route to Madrid via Barcelona.
According to Singapore Airlines' announcement, the Singapore - Manchester route will increase from five weekly flights to a daily service from July 13, 2026. The route to London Gatwick, which in the mentioned section refers to flights SQ314 and SQ313, will also grow to daily traffic from October 25, 2026. The company states that it will thereby have two daily services to Gatwick, or a total of up to six daily flights to London when four daily routes to Heathrow are included.
The increase also applies to Milan, where routes SQ356 and SQ355 will be raised from four weekly flights to daily traffic from October 25, 2026. At the same time, according to Singapore Airlines, three weekly Singapore - Milan - Barcelona flights will be discontinued from October 27, 2026, after the launch of the new Singapore - Barcelona - Madrid route. Such redistribution shows that the expansion is not only about adding capacity, but also about rearranging the existing European network so that it is better aligned with demand.
Madrid becomes a new destination in the network
In the same announcement, Singapore Airlines announced that from October 26, 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, it will launch five weekly flights to Madrid via Barcelona. The company states that Madrid will thereby become its 15th European destination and its second destination in Spain. The new route will use existing flights SQ388 and SQ387, which are being restructured from the previous twice-weekly connection to Barcelona into five weekly flights on the Singapore - Barcelona - Madrid route.
According to Singapore Airlines, an Airbus A350-900 in a long-haul configuration with 253 seats is planned for the new Spanish route, of which 42 are in business class, 24 in premium economy and 187 in economy class. Although this configuration in the official announcement expressly refers to the route via Barcelona to Madrid, the announcement is part of the same network strategy in which capacities to Munich are also being increased. For the European market, this means that the company is simultaneously opening a new destination and strengthening existing points with proven demand.
Dai Haoyu, senior vice president for marketing planning at Singapore Airlines, said in the press release that Europe is an important market for the company and that the changes reflect its commitment to that market. According to him, the company is recording strong demand for travel to Europe and is responding to it by increasing frequencies to key destinations such as Manchester, Milan, Munich and London Gatwick. Madrid was described at the same time as an increasingly popular tourist destination and as a financial and business center.
What the change means for passengers
For passengers using Munich as a departure point or transfer point, the most important practical change will be a greater choice of departure times. Daily flights remain important for passengers who prefer an earlier arrival at the airport and a different rhythm of transfers, while the new evening departures create an additional option for travel after the working day. According to Munich Airport, arrival in Singapore at 15:15 the following day should improve connections to a range of destinations in Asia and the Pacific.
Singapore is one of the most important global hubs for onward travel to Southeast Asia and Oceania, and Singapore Airlines offers numerous connections to major cities in the region through its network. In the announcement by Munich Airport, Bangkok, Bali, Koh Samui, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City are particularly highlighted, as are almost all routes to Australia and New Zealand. For passengers planning a multi-day stay in Bavaria before or after the flight, a natural choice may also be accommodation offers in Munich, especially when the journey is linked to an evening departure or a later arrival from an intercontinental route.
The change may also be important for business passengers because a greater number of weekly frequencies usually enables more precise planning of shorter trips and reduces the need for long waits between return options. For leisure passengers, the advantage is greater flexibility when putting together itineraries, especially when traveling to destinations that require one or more transfers. However, the final availability of individual connections will depend on sales channels, the seasonal timetable, regulatory approvals and the carrier's operational decisions.
Growth of long-haul traffic in European aviation
Singapore Airlines' announcement fits into the broader trend of strengthening long-haul connections after a period of disruption in air traffic. Munich Airport's data for 2025 show that long-haul traffic was the most dynamic growth segment, while continental traffic also continued its recovery. According to the same report, domestic German traffic stagnated and reached about 64 percent of the 2019 level, while international and especially intercontinental connections had stronger momentum.
For airports such as Munich, this means that growth increasingly relies on high-value international connections, transfer flows and cooperation among major airline groups. The route to Singapore is important in this context because it connects two economically strong areas and enables onward travel to a large number of destinations in Asia and the Pacific. Additional frequencies at the same time create competitive pressure on other European hubs that compete for passengers to the same regions.
Although the announcement brings clear dates and a planned timetable, Singapore Airlines expressly states that flights are subject to regulatory approvals and possible changes in aircraft scheduling. This is a customary note when planning flights for future seasons because the final flight schedule can be adjusted depending on operational circumstances, fleet capacity and market demand. For now, according to available official information, Munich is planned to receive three additional weekly connections with Singapore from the end of October 2026, whereby Singapore Airlines will offer a total of ten flights per week on that route.
Sources:
- Singapore Airlines - official press release on the increase of European frequencies and the new route to Madrid, including the flight schedule for Munich (link)
- Munich Airport - official press release on the expansion of Singapore Airlines' presence in Munich and statements by representatives of the airport and the company (link)
- Munich Airport - annual traffic report for 2025, with data on passenger numbers, long-haul traffic and transfer passengers (link)
- Singapore Airlines - information on the joint venture with Lufthansa Group, SWISS and Austrian Airlines (link)
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