It has been revealed today that Singapore Airlines will be axing the fifth freedom Houston flights via Manchester Airport. I don’t think it’s such a bad thing for the UK airport.
This bustling airport in the north-west of England has made some strong gains in the last few years.
With every piece of bad news, comes an opportunity.
Singapore Airlines Will Still Remain at Manchester Airport…
It is key to note that Singapore Airlines will still remain at Manchester Airport and will continue to serve Changi Airport as opposed to Houston via the fifth freedom flights.
With the oil and gas industry becoming a difficult landscape in the wake of global tensions, it is hardly surprising.
As Ben Schlappig at One Mile at a Time notes, the airline used to service Houston via Moscow for the purposes of that particular industry.
As a result, airlines do what they need to do, which is to axe unprofitable routes.
It is key to note that we will still see the service until April 2025.
This is still a decent amount of time left on the Manchester-Houston flights with Singapore Airlines.
Moreover, the airline is still committed to the Manchester Airport market.
They service the UK airport five times per week from Changi Airport.
As @SPD_Travels on X rightly says, is that the axing shows where the bulk of the demand was.
Moreover, not having the ability to codeshare with United Airlines, a Star Alliance partner I may add, also shows that this was going to inevitably happen as demand died down.
So, if anything, it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, nor a blow.
Away From The Manchester-Houston Fifth Freedom Flights with Singapore Airlines, The Airport is Thriving in Other Extremely Strong Markets…
As we have seen over the last 12 months, I think it’s safe to say that Manchester Airport has secured a lot of additional business outside of Singapore Airlines’ fifth freedom flights to Houston.
We have seen the likes of Juneyao Air join the likes of Hainan Airlines & Cathay Pacific to directly service the Asian market.
This is a market that the airport is very keen to expand into,
The results have been paying off strongly.
Closer to home, you have the likes of Luxair restarting, Royal Air Maroc starting services to Casablanca, and much more.
Of course, because it’s a route like Manchester-Houston, of course the discussion starts about the airport’s connectivity to North America.
North America Is Served Well Already…
As many who live near Manchester Airport know, we do have a strong range of North America service already.
Airlines like TUI, Virgin Atlantic & Aer Lingus service the continent pretty well.
We have even recently had new services to Las Vegas resume from the airport too, so this is a market where restoration and growth is taking place.
And it’s exactly why it isn’t such a bad thing that Singapore Airlines will axe the Manchester-Houston fifth freedom flights.
Moreover, with the markets that Manchester Airport has been expanding into, and at a strong rate I might add, there is of course scope for further transatlantic growth.
But we also have to remember that the transatlantic segment is a very oversaturated market, meaning the demand has to be there.
And as mentioned, in the context of Singapore Airlines, it clearly isn’t there for the Manchester-Houston flights.
Final Thoughts…
It is a shame yes that Manchester Airport will lose the Singapore Airlines Houston fifth freedom flights, but the airport has gone through worse times, and there will no doubt be new airlines and routes that come in the future.
This is exactly why this has been labelled as an opinion piece, because there will be people who disagree. And that is totally fine.
But with the growth potential that Manchester Airport has between now and 2050, it will be an opportunity that will be exploited, and as it should.
Now, it is key to note I am a big believer in the airport’s direction. And that may not be surprising given that I live around 40 minutes away from there.
Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see what comes next following this decision made by the airline.
Did we use to have a significant arsenal of airlines servicing North America? Yes. Is it not as significant as it is today? No.
But one thing is for sure, the wider Manchester Area and the catchment area shows the attractiveness of the airport, and it will continue to show for many years to come.
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