Singapore Airlines will reportedly suspend flights to and from the mainland Chinese cities of Chengdu and Chongqing from 31 March because it hasn’t received approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to fly the two routes for the summer and autumn seasons.
According to The Straits Times, the suspension of services comes just five months after flights between the two cities and Singapore resumed, with no clarity on how long this new suspension will last. The airline currently flies daily to Chengdu and three times a week to Chongqing.
A Singapore Airlines spokesperson told The Straits Times, “China is an important market for the Singapore Airlines Group. We will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities, as we adjust our network and capacity to China.”
A similar suspension took place between Singapore and four Chinese cities – Chongqing, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Xiamen – last year before flights resumed in late November.
While the timing if this latest suspension seems coincidental, it comes just days after China’s embassy in Singapore issued an advisory warning its citizens against gambling there because doing so could violate Chinese law.
The two nations previously launched a mutual 30-day visa free entry scheme in early February, which Nomura analysts said would trigger a significant increase in Chinese travellers to Singapore and provide additional benefits to its two integrated resorts, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa.
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