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Emirates is set to axe its EK404/405 service between Melbourne and Singapore.
The Gulf carrier says it has not yet determined the end date for the daily 777-300ER flights, which have operated since 1996, pausing only in 2020 for a three-year COVID-19 hiatus. The airline is not pulling out of Melbourne entirely, with its Dubai services to continue.
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“Emirates will determine the termination date of the EK404/405 Singapore–Melbourne service after receiving the final assessment of the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS),” an Emirates spokesperson said.
“When the termination date is finalised, Emirates will communicate changes to affected passengers and offer them alternative travel arrangements.
“Emirates will continue to connect Singapore to Dubai with four-daily flights and Melbourne to Dubai nonstop with two-daily A380 flights.
“We will also continue to offer our customers direct connectivity between Melbourne and Singapore via our codeshare partner Qantas’ double daily flights.”
Melbourne Airport confirmed the end of the service but could not comment.
Five airlines currently operate the Melbourne–Singapore route: Emirates daily, Qantas twice daily, Singapore Airlines five times daily, and Turkish Airlines and Scoot once per day each.
As reported in Singaporean news outlet The Straits Times, Singapore Airlines and its low-cost arm Scoot together hold around 57 per cent of seats on the Melbourne–Singapore route, with Emirates holding around 11 per cent.
Emirates formerly flew from Brisbane to Singapore, but wrapped up that route in 2019; the Gulf carrier does not fly from Sydney or Perth to Singapore, but does connect through Sydney from Dubai to Christchurch.
Turkish Airlines began three weekly services between Melbourne and Istanbul via Singapore in March, and currently operates A350-900s on the route; it plans to fly non-stop once longer-range A350-1000s arrive that are capable of making the trip between Istanbul and Australia’s east coast.
The Turkish flag carrier was in December 2023 granted an initial 21 flights per week under bilateral air service agreements, increasing to 28 in the latter half of 2024 and 35 from next year, as well as the fifth freedom flights necessary to fly via Singapore.
Australian Aviation has contacted Emirates codeshare partner Qantas for comment.
