Sunday, August 11, 2024 Singapore Airlines (SIA) has decided to cease its flights to the Chinese cities of Chengdu and Chongqing, effective March 31, just over four months after resuming services to these destinations. This decision comes after a period of regulatory suspension, which had initially halted flights to these cities. SIA had only recently restarted these routes on November 26 of the previous year, following the resolution of earlier regulatory issues.
According to reports from Lianhe Zaobao dated March 20, the suspension is linked to the airline’s failure to secure necessary approvals from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). These approvals are required for airlines to continue operating in the summer and autumn seasons of 2024, and the absence of this clearance has directly impacted SIA’s ability to maintain its services to Chengdu and Chongqing. Before the suspension, Singapore Airlines was operating daily flights to Chengdu and offering thrice-weekly flights to Chongqing.
These flights were part of a broader effort to re-establish connectivity between Singapore and key cities in China, following an extended period of disruption. The airline had initially suspended flights to Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen, and Xiamen in 2023, also due to regulatory challenges. The resumption of flights in November 2023 had been seen as a positive step towards normalizing travel between Singapore and China.
The reintroduction of these routes was eagerly anticip.