Coming soon....a new fifth freedom route

[MAN Flyer]

Well overdue as well.

Hope everyone is well. What an 18 months....and still not over.

[Jumbojet Lover]

Well overdue as well.

Hope everyone is well. What an 18 months....and still not over.

Some exciting news amidst the continued pandemic. I'm guessing it's not MAN-IAH as it won't be new. Could it be MAN-JFK/EWR? MAN-ORD?? 🤔

Just like the to-be-relaunched LAX-TPE, my guess is that the new fifth freedom route is part of the plan to deploy capacity to cater to local demand between markets with less restricted travel.

[truncated]

Could it be (finally) NRT-JFK? If not my next guess would be somewhere - BOS or ORD

[SQ380]

Perhaps SIN-LHR-JFK vv

[SQGamespeed]

Perhaps SIN-LHR-JFK vv

I believe SQ did consider this route in the past, so it would be interesting if they decide to make it a reality.

[demue]

Perhaps SIN-LHR-JFK vv

Hmm, now wouldn't that be something

[sbs2716g]

Perhaps SIN-LHR-JFK vv

If they fly this, that mean they can only fly SIN-LHR 3 time daily instead of 4?
Due to the slots restrictions,unless they have additional slot?

[flyguy]

do doubt if SQ can get this SIN-LHR-JFK vv 5th freedom flight at all due to "slots" availability and both governments approval

[Jumbojet Lover]

do doubt if SQ can get this SIN-LHR-JFK vv 5th freedom flight at all due to "slots" availability and both governments approval

Such flights should be covered under the Singapore-US and Singapore-UK air services agreements, requiring no additional approval. Singapore and the US have "open skies", while the Singapore-UK agreement allows SQ to transport passengers beyond the UK to a third country. Flights from LHR to US cities were singled out as possibilities when the agreement was reached.

The current situation has availed slots at LHR, allowing new entrants such as Vistara and Jetblue to enter the airport. SQ could bid for unused slots that way. SQ could also lease a slot pair from another airline that does not foresee using them in the short-term, just as it had done for at least one of it's 4 daily frequencies pre-COVID. Another obvious solution would be to use one of its own slots. With the recent reopening of UK to Americans while Singapore is still closed to the Brits, SQ may identify LHR-JFK as a better use of its slot pair.

LHR-JFK may not seem so far-fetched after all, providing SQ with a revenue opportunity while giving Star Alliance loyalists another option between London and New York City, unarguably the more luxurious option over United.

[SQ002]

A wide shot but I guess HKG-ORD or CAN-SFO. Certainly missed SQ 1/2 layover at HKG. Wondering when they'll resume HKG-SFO

Did SQ get an additional fifth freedom route? Or are they using an existing one?

[9V-JKL]

do doubt if SQ can get this SIN-LHR-JFK vv 5th freedom flight at all due to "slots" availability and both governments approval

SQ had LHR-JFK approval from 2008. It just hasn't been used....yet....

https://scholar.smu.edu/cgi/viewcont...8&context=jalc
TLDR, start from page 13

Also: https://www.mot.gov.sg/news-centre/n...es%20Agreement

As for slots.... well....

[sbs2716g]

Maybe it is the scoot fifth freedom right between U.K. n Phuket.

[MAN Flyer]

Some interesting speculation there....some not far off. Today's developments should finally get the ball rolling.

MAN-IAH had already been announced as a restart, initially from November but then pushed back to Jan. However, todays announcement should also bring that back towards the initially intended restart date.

[bookman81]

I don't think SQ will operate LHR-JFK, because they have partners already serving that route: Virgin Atlantic and they are not going to compete with an airline they are in alliance with.

[Jumbojet Lover]

I don't think SQ will operate LHR-JFK, because they have partners already serving that route: Virgin Atlantic and they are not going to compete with an airline they are in alliance with.

That would not be a reason against SQ operating LHR-JFK.

Firstly, Virgin Atlantic and SQ are only codeshare partners and not in an alliance. That's the most basic level of cooperation. If SQ determines that there is a large enough market for them to fly LHR-JFK, they will fly it. The relationship is far less important since SQ no longer owns 49% of VS. Any impact to their relationship would be minimal.

Secondly, by your argument that SQ "are not going to compete with an airline they are in alliance with", then SQ would not reinstate FRA-JFK flights which are in direct competition with Lufthansa. SQ has a deeper relationship with Lufthansa and have a joint venture on flights covering destinations within Europe and Australasia, but not FRA-JFK. Yet SQ has flown this and will fly this in direct competition with Lufthansa.