Singapore Airlines to upgrade flights to Male to A350s

Singapore Airlines is adding capacity to its Maldives route for the upcoming peak holiday season.

Singapore Airlines states that the airline is adding capacity to its Maldives route in anticipation of increased year-end demand between the Lion City and Male, both from local residents and those connecting to the popular holiday islands from the likes of Australia, Europe and the USA.

As such, the airline will be upgrading the flights to A350 aircrafts from 30th October 2022 onwards.

The Singapore – Male' route already had an upgrade from ex-SilkAir Boeing 737-800s to the newer Boeing 737-8 MAXs, in February this year.

Singapore Airlines disclosed that from 30th October to the end of December this year, selected SQ438/437 flights will use two-class Airbus A350 Medium Haul aircraft, including 40 of the 2018 Regional Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, with direct aisle access.

As such, flights departing from both Singapore and Male on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays over this two-month period will see the change. The airline highlights that this will boost capacity on the route by over 20 percent, from 4,312 seats per week to 5,206 per week.

Currently there are two daily Boeing 737-8 MAX flights operating on this route. From 30th October to end of this year, Singapore Airlines have daily scheduled flights between Singapore and Male'.

From 1st January 2023 through to the end of the winter season, all of Singapore Airlines’ Male flights will return to Boeing 737-8 MAX service.

Prior to COVID-19, Singapore Airlines was serving the Male route daily with a Boeing 787-10, supplemented by a daily SilkAir Boeing 737-800 service, so overall group capacity in early 2023 is still only around 62 percent of pre-pandemic levels.