Last summer Singapore Airlines (SIA) restarted fifth-freedom operations within mainland Europe.
It was a canny move because, during a period of traffic decline resulting from the pandemic, it allowed SIA to combine two destinations with a single flight.
Singapore’s Scoot seeks Europe fifth-freedoms
Now SIA has set its sights on flying Milan (Malpensa) to Barcelona.
The three-times-a-week flight would be an extension of its scheduled service arriving into Milan from Singapore.
Flights start on January 17 and will be operated by an A350-900 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- SQ378 Milan-Barcelona 0715-0850
- SQ379 Barcelona-Milan 1010-1150
The lead-in one-way fare is Euros 79 but please note that this price can increase substantially according to demand.
And as this is a fifth-freedom route one might find that travel agents will be able to offer keener rates.
In previous reports I have noted that fifth-freedom operations by airlines were commonplace worldwide in days gone by.
It was a clever way in which airlines could increase their market presence without the costs of operating additional flights.
But over the years governments have tended to protect their national airlines by withdrawing such rights.
SIA’s return to intra-European flying is good news for travellers as it provides another option with the possibility of keener fares.
