Emirates confirmed that it will terminate its route from Singapore’s Changi International Airport (SIN) to Melbourne Airport (MEL), a fifth-freedom operation it had been flying for 28 years.
In a statement seen by The Straits Times, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) said that the Dubai-based carrier submitted a request to terminate the route in early August 2024.
Emirates told the news outlet that it will determine the final date of its Singapore to Melbourne flight after it receives a final assessment from the CCCS. The CCCS will review any impact that the cancellation would have in terms of capacity commitments agreed upon in Emirates’ partnership with Qantas.
A fifth-freedom flight is operated by a carrier between two countries that is neither the airline’s home base or hub.
Apart from Singapore to Melbourne, Emirates also currently operates the following fifth-freedom flights:
- Velana International Airport (MLE) in Male to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in Colombo
- Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) to Christchurch Airport (CHC)
- Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
- Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH)
- Athens International Airport (ATH) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Kotoka International Airport (ACC) to Félix Houphouët Boigny International Airport in Abidjan (ABJ)
- Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport (HRE) to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka
- Gbessia International Airport (CKY) in Conakry to Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) in Dakar
- Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) to Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez (MEX) in Mexico City
- Rio de Janeiro International Airport (GIG) to Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires
- Larnaca International Airport (LCA) to Malta International Airport (MLA)