Singapore Airlines axes Houston, upgrades London Gatwick to daily, adds A380s to Tokyo Narita

Singapore Airlines has announced its network adjustments for the 2025 Northern Summer season, which runs from 30 March to 25 October 2025. 

There’s always a lot to digest in these updates, but the highlights this time round include:

• Suspending services to Houston after 17 years
• Restoring Airbus A380 services to Tokyo Narita
• Temporarily removing the Airbus A380 from Delhi and Mumbai
• Increasing services to London Gatwick to daily from 5x weekly
• Ending fifth freedom flights between Milan and Barcelona in favor of additional direct flights from Singapore
• Boosting services to Adelaide, Ho Chi Minh City, Johannesburg, Rome and Siem Reap

Singapore Airlines 2025 Northern Summer network adjustments

Here’s the key takeaways from SIA’s network adjustments for the 2025 Northern Summer season.

Houston axed

Singapore Airlines launched flights to Houston in March 2008, with flights initially operating via Moscow. In October 2016, the stopover point was switched to Manchester, in light of more favourable economic conditions, and the aircraft swapped from a four-class Boeing 777-300ER to a three-class Airbus A350-900LH without First Class.

The overall journey from Singapore to Houston was the longest flight operated by Singapore Airlines, with a total travel time blocked at 25 hours 5 mins, including the 90-minute layover in Manchester. For comparison, Singapore to New York JFK via Frankfurt, already a marathon journey in itself, takes “only” 23 hours 15 mins!

Unfortunately, load factors have been poor in recent times. While the airline filled 70% of seats in 2019 and 63% in 2022, only 33% of seats were filled in 2023, and perhaps it’s unsurprising that the route will get the chop from 1 April 2025. 

SQ302 and SQ301 between Singapore and Manchester will continue operating as a 5X weekly service, but with no onward flight to Houston.

Singapore Airlines will continue to operate fifth freedom flights to the USA between Tokyo Narita and Los Angeles, as well as Frankfurt and New York JFK. Non-stop service to Los Angeles, New York JFK, New York EWR, San Francisco and Seattle are also unaffected. 

Airbus A380 back to Narita

SIA has been playing A380 musical chairs of late, with the whalejet removed from both the Hong Kong and Shanghai routes for practically all of the Northern Winter season. 

Tokyo Narita has always been a hit or miss route for the A380, but from 30 March to 31 May 2025, there are plans to operate this aircraft on one of its two daily services, replacing the Boeing 787-10. 

Delhi and Mumbai lose A380s

It’s not such good news for travellers to Delhi and Mumbai, as both routes will be downgraded to Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. These will operate the Delhi service from 23 June to 27 July 2025, and Mumbai from 28 July to 31 August 2025. 

For those booked in Suites, it means the loss of a private suite with separate seat and bed…

…for a much more conventional First Class seat. Not that there’s anything wrong with this, mind you, but it’s probably not what you had in mind when you redeemed your miles!

Milan and Barcelona unlinked

While SIA launched 2x weekly direct flights to Barcelona in June 2024, it continued to operate a 3X weekly service via Milan on SQ378/377.

Incidentally, the fifth-freedom flight between Milan and Barcelona is one of the more unique routes to try Singapore Airlines Business Class. With a blocked flight time of 1h 40 mins, you won’t get a full meal service (sandwich only), but the full drinks selection is yours to indulge in, and you get a very comfortable seat. It’s probably as good as intra-Europe Business Class gets.

Sadly that won’t be possible anymore from 24 June to 7 September 2025, when this flight will be delinked in favour of 5X weekly direct flights to Barcelona, and daily flights to Milan. 

Still, I think most people will prefer getting to their destination faster!

London Gatwick goes daily

While SIA launched 5x weekly London Gatwick flights in June 2024, it’s no secret that wasn’t the original plan. Instead, the airline was gunning for daily service, but was unable to secure the slots- somewhat unsurprising at Europe’s busiest single runway airport. In the end, SIA only managed to secure enough slots for a 5X weekly service, which meant no flights on Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

That looks to have been resolved for the 2025 northern summer season, with daily flights commencing from 30 March 2025. 

Together with existing London Heathrow and Manchester services, SIA will be mounting 40 flights per week to the UK. 

Increased frequencies

In anticipation of higher air travel demand, Singapore Airlines will be boosting its services to Adelaide, Ho Chi Minh City, Johannesburg, Rome and Siem Reap, per the following schedules. 

Adelaide

Ho Chi Minh City

Johannesburg

Rome

Siem Reap

Conclusion

Singapore Airlines has announced its network adjustments for the 2025 Northern Summer season, which sees the end of services to Houston, but a boost for its newly-launched London Gatwick route. There’s also an A380 to look forward to for travellers to Tokyo Narita, though some Delhi and Mumbai passengers will be disappointed.

Which route announcement has got you the most excited?