Singapore Airlines Marks 40 Years of Connecting Adelaide to the World

Friday, March 29, 2024

Singapore Airlines, the most enduring international airline serving Adelaide, is set to commemorate its 40th anniversary of operations between Singapore and Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, highlighting its significant contribution to the state’s tourism sector with an annual economic impact of nearly $100 million.

The celebration is scheduled for this Sunday, March 31, marking four decades since the airline’s first flight, a Boeing 747, touched down in Adelaide on the same date in 1984, shortly after the inauguration of the international terminal at Adelaide Airport.

According to the South Australian Tourism Commission, the direct daily flights operated by Singapore Airlines are estimated to inject around $96 million into the local economy annually, a figure expected to increase as the airline plans to boost its service to 10 flights per week by October.

Since its Adelaide debut in 1984, Singapore Airlines has been a steadfast ally to the South Australian market, maintaining its operations continuously, except for a brief hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic peak.

In a move to enhance service, the airline upgraded its aircraft for the Singapore-Adelaide route to a 337-seat Boeing 787 (Dreamliner) from the 303-seat Airbus A350 in October 2023.

Singapore now ranks as the fourth largest source of visitor expenditure for South Australia, with the state hosting 15,000 Singaporean visitors in the year ending December 2023, as reported by Tourism Research Australia.

Zoe Bettison, the Minister for Tourism, praised the 40-year milestone, recognizing Singapore Airlines as the state’s longest-standing international carrier, underscoring the profound and lasting relationship between Singapore Airlines and Adelaide.

“Singapore Airlines has brought substantial benefits to South Australia, with the current schedule of daily direct flights generating an estimated $96 million in tourism expenditure per year – and this is tipped to grow with an increase this October from 7 to 10 flights per week,” Minister Bettison said.
 
“Bringing international passengers direct to Adelaide is crucial for growing our state’s visitor economy, and I thank Singapore Airlines for its commitment to Adelaide and the ongoing role this important airline plays in boosting tourism expenditure and promoting travel to our state in key global markets.”

Brenton Cox, the Managing Director of Adelaide Airport, stated that Singapore Airlines has provided remarkable support to the Adelaide market for over forty years.

“The airline has been with us through the highs of the extraordinary growth of international travel and the lows of the COVID pandemic when Singapore Airlines was one of the first international airline to re-introduce flights in mid-2020 to help repatriate South Australians desperate to return home at the height of the pandemic and to transport SA exports to global markets,” Mr Cox said.
 
“Singapore Airlines was a ground breaker in providing South Australians with one-stop connections to Europe and the UK, rather than having to backtrack via Sydney or Melbourne. In 2018, Singapore Airlines chose Adelaide as their global launch port for its brand new A350MH aircraft.”

Louis Arul, Regional Vice President South West Pacific at Singapore Airlines, expressed their joy in collaborating with the South Australian Tourism Commission and Adelaide Airport to commemorate their 40-year partnership with the city of Adelaide.

“Our partnership has helped cement our legacy as the longest serving international airline to the South Australian capital,” Mr Arul said. 

“Travel demand into, and out of, Adelaide continues to remain robust and we’re happy to add 3 frequencies a week, bringing a total of 10 services per week from October 2024.”

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