Singapore Airlines Halts Houston Fifth Freedom

DALLAS — Singapore Airlines 9SQ) has suspended a portion of its long-standing route connecting Singapore (SIN), Manchester (MAN), and Houston (IAH). 

Effective April 1, 2025, the airline will cease operations on the Manchester to Houston leg, reducing one of its fifth-freedom flight to the United States.

Following this adjustment, SQ will continue to offer two fifth-freedom flights to the United States: one connecting New York (JFK) with Frankfurt (FRA) and another linking Los Angeles (LAX) with Tokyo (NRT).

These routes complement the airline's direct services between Singapore and various U.S. destinations.

Reasons for the Suspension

The airline decided to move its connecting city from Houston to Manchester, which has a restricted direct market from Houston, as a result of the collapse in the oil and gas markets in the Texas hub.

According to Ben Schlappig from onemileatatime.com, the growth-conservative airline "tends to only stay in markets where it’s succeeding." He added, "as the economy in Moscow got worse, Singapore Airlines decided to reroute the service via Manchester."

Since 2016, the carrier has operated this unique route, serving both direct Singapore-Houston traffic and offering a fifth freedom option between the United Kingdom and the United States. An Airbus A350-900 service operates five times weekly with carefully coordinated schedules to facilitate smooth connections.

Back in March, the airline went back to operating the route five times a week to restore that service to pre-pandemic frequency. Now, it is unclear if the fifth freedom route to Houston will return, but the carrier will maintain its service between Singapore and Manchester, preserving connectivity between these two cities.