User:KenjiHollande/sandbox

Melbourne–Singapore air route

The Melbourne–Singapore air route is a major international air corridor linking Melbourne Airport (ICAO: YMML, IATA: MEL) in Australia to Singapore Changi Airport (ICAO: WSSS, IATA: SIN) in the Republic of Singapore. This route is considered one of the busiest in the Southeast Asia to Oceania region, with both full-service and low-cost carriers providing frequent services. The route spans approximately 3,750 nautical miles, and flights usually operate at flight levels FL330–FL390, passing through airways such as L894, M770, and P628.

History

The route was initially serviced by Qantas Empire Airways in the 1940s using flying boats such as the Consolidated PBY Catalina, with multiple refueling stops along the way. By the 1970s, following the introduction of jet aircraft, the route saw the use of wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747-100 and DC-10. The 1980s saw non-stop services emerge, with aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 establishing a reliable link between Melbourne and Singapore.

In recent years, with the rise of budget carriers, the route has seen competition from low-cost carriers such as Jetstar Airways and Scoot.

Operators and Scheduling (2025)

Current Airlines

• Singapore Airlines (SIA/SQ)
  • Flights: SQ208, SQ228
  • Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 (Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engines), Boeing 777-300ER (GE90-115B engines)
  • Configuration: 3-class or 4-class (Suites, Business, Premium Economy, Economy)
  • Frequency: 2–3 daily

• Qantas Airways (QFA/QF)
  • Flights: QF35, QF37
  • Aircraft: Airbus A330-300 (Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 engines), Airbus A380-800 (Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines)
  • ETOPS-330 certified, often utilizes SimBrief profile QFA332RR for fuel planning
  • Frequency: Daily

• Jetstar Airways (JST/JQ)
  • Flights: JQ7, JQ9
  • Aircraft: Airbus A321XLR (CFM LEAP-1A33 engines)
  • Configuration: High-density, all-economy layout
  • Frequency: 3–4 weekly

• Scoot (TGW/TR)
  • Flight: TR19
  • Aircraft: Airbus A321neo (PW1133G-JM engines)
  • Frequency: 3–4 weekly

Former or Intermittent Airlines

• British Airways (BAW/BA) – Fifth-freedom flights on the London–Singapore–Sydney route, discontinued MEL–SIN sector in 2020
• Emirates (UAE/EK) – EK404/EK405 tag-on between DXB and MEL via SIN using Airbus A380-861
• Ansett Australia – Flew Boeing 767s and leased 747s until collapse in 2001
• Malaysia–Singapore Airlines – Operated early services before split into MAS and SIA in 1972

Aircraft and Technical Specs

Aircraft Type	Engines	Configuration	Range (NM)	ETOPS
Airbus A350-900	Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84	3/4-class	8,000	370
Boeing 777-300ER	GE90-115B	3-class	7,370	330
Airbus A330-300	Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60	2-class	6,350	180
Airbus A380-800	Rolls-Royce Trent 900	4-class	8,000+	N/A
Airbus A321XLR	CFM LEAP-1A33	High-density Y	4,700	180

Passenger Traffic

The Melbourne–Singapore route is consistently one of the busiest international routes in Australia, with approximately 1.3 million passengers transported annually between the two cities in 2019. This represents a significant portion of the total traffic at both Melbourne Airport and Singapore Changi Airport.

Annual Passenger Traffic (2017–2020)

Year	Passengers (millions)	Load Factor (%)
2017	1.2	80%
2018	1.3	82%
2019	1.3	85%
2020	0.5*	56%

• Note: Traffic declined significantly in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notable Incidents

• Singapore Airlines Flight 238 (1991) – A Boeing 747-400, en route to Melbourne, was diverted to Darwin due to a hydraulic system malfunction. The aircraft was able to land safely without any injuries.
• Qantas Flight 35 (2019) – An Airbus A330-300 en route from Melbourne to Singapore declared a PAN-PAN due to a fuel imbalance warning and returned to Melbourne. The incident was caused by a sensor fault, and there were no injuries.

Cargo Operations

The route supports a substantial amount of cargo, particularly high-value and perishable items. Air cargo typically includes pharmaceuticals, electronics, fashion, and consumer goods. In addition, Singapore Airlines and Qantas both offer dedicated bellyhold cargo space on their passenger flights.

Flight Route Map

Here is a **suggestion** for a map you can create or upload to your sandbox:

• Use a basic flight path route tool (like Google Earth or an online flight route generator) to create a visual showing the route from Melbourne (YMML) to Singapore (WSSS).
• Highlight airways used, including L894 and M770, and indicate typical flight levels and distances.
• You can also annotate the map with details about stopovers and flight durations.

See also

• Melbourne Airport
• Singapore Changi Airport
• Singapore Airlines
• Qantas
• List of busiest air routes from Australia

References

• "Singapore Airlines Fleet Overview." Singapore Airlines Official Website. [1]
• "Qantas Airways Official Website." Qantas. [2]
• "Melbourne Airport Passenger Traffic Report 2019." Melbourne Airport. [3]
• "Changi Airport Annual Traffic Report 2019." Singapore Changi Airport. [4]
• "COVID-19 Impact on Aviation Industry." International Air Transport Association (IATA). [5]