Air Canada to drop Singapore-Vancouver service

Travellers flying from Singapore to Canada will soon lose their only non-stop option, with Air Canada set to suspend its service between Singapore and Vancouver in January 2027.

The route, operated by the Canadian flag carrier using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, will be suspended from January 26, 2027, an Air Canada spokeswoman confirmed to The Straits Times on September 23.

Following the suspension, travellers from Singapore heading to Canada will need to make at least one stop, with possible connections through destinations such as Hong Kong or the United States.

Citing commercial reasons for the decision, the spokeswoman said the airline had invested significant resources in the Vancouver-Singapore route for nearly three years. However, the service did not meet the business targets needed to remain sustainable.

The spokeswoman cited commercial reasons for the decision, saying Air Canada had invested significant resources in the Vancouver-Singapore route for nearly three years. However, the service failed to meet the business targets required to remain sustainable.

Explaining the timeline, the spokeswoman said the end date for the Singapore-Vancouver route was set “far enough into the future to protect the majority of our customers.”

Air Canada currently operates the 12,818km non-stop service up to five times a week, making it the airline’s longest route by distance. The flight from Singapore to Vancouver takes about 14 hours, while the return journey takes approximately 16 hours and 45 minutes. The spokeswoman said economic factors affecting the route include commercial demand and its ultra-long-haul distance.

The airline said that, combined with current fuel costs, ultra-long-haul flights have become less efficient due to their higher fuel requirements and associated fuel burn.

“As a result, Air Canada has made the difficult but necessary decision to redeploy its fleet to other markets where demand and other economic factors are better aligned,” the spokeswoman said.

Air Canada originally introduced the non-stop service in response to growing market demand, said David Rheault, the airline’s vice-president of government and community relations, when the route launched in April 2024.

Although Air Canada plans to suspend the Singapore-Vancouver route, the spokeswoman said the airline will maintain its presence in Singapore through codeshare agreements with Star Alliance partners.

Under these arrangements, Air Canada places its code on Singapore Airlines-operated flights to hubs including Tokyo Narita, Seoul Incheon, Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Frankfurt and Brussels, the spokeswoman added. Air Canada also places its code on ANA flights to Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports, allowing travellers to connect to Air Canada-operated flights from these hubs.