From July 19, Singapore Airlines (SIA) will add Barcelona and Milan Malpensa to its European network. The carrier will operate three flights a week using a B777 to link both cities. Milan will be SIA's second destination in Italy (it has flown to Rome for a number of years) while Barcelona is a substitute for Madrid which SIA stopped serving recently.
The new services will be a boon for travellers heading to and from Asia and Australasia via the Singapore hub. Barcelona is an up-and-coming destination for business and leisure while Milan serves Italy's industrial north and Malpensa airport is also close to Swiss Ticino.
There are currently no direct services at all to these areas of the world from Spain with passengers having to make flight transfers at other European hubs.
There are a number of direct flights from Milan to Asia but none of these currently operate to Singapore.
Flight SQ378 departs Singapore every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 2355 to reach Milan the next morning at 0700. It continues to Barcelona an hour later to arrive there at 0930. Flight SQ377 departs Barcelona every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 1050, arrives Milan at 1215 then leaves at 1325. It reaches Singapore the following morning at 0745. SIA says it will be offering introductory fares on both routes.
For more information go to singaporeair.com
Report by Alex McWhirter
