Singapore Airlines Returns to Madrid as Manchester and Gatwick Go Daily

Singapore Airlines has just dropped one of the most interesting European network announcements we've seen all year. From 26 October 2026, the carrier will return to Madrid for the first time since 2004, operating five-times-weekly via Barcelona. That's the headline - but there's plenty more here for UK readers, including Manchester and London Gatwick both going daily for the first time, plus a brand-new Munich frequency and Milan going daily. The full press release is on the Singapore Airlines newsroom.

SIA last served Madrid in 2003-04 before pulling out during the SARS outbreak (and even then, the Spanish capital had only ever been an intermediate point on a longer routing). The new SQ388/SQ387 service will route Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid five times per week, restructuring the existing twice-weekly Singapore-Barcelona direct services. That makes Madrid SIA's 14th European destination and its second in Spain. The aircraft will be the long-haul variant of the Airbus A350-900, configured with 253 seats across all four cabins.

Routing via Barcelona is a sensible commercial compromise. Madrid is a serious business hub, but a Singapore-Madrid nonstop would have been a stretch outside peak season. The Barcelona stop adds a meaningful local market and mirrors what works for Cathay Pacific, which has run a strong Madrid operation off the back of Iberia's hub for years. For points collectors, the new Barcelona-Madrid leg should also create some interesting fifth-freedom intra-Europe opportunities once seats load.

The Manchester upgrade is the most consequential UK change in this announcement. From 13 July 2026, Singapore-Manchester (SQ302/SQ301) goes from five-times weekly to daily. This has been telegraphed for a while - back in late 2024, SIA secured slots for up to 15 weekly Manchester flights, and we've now got our answer about how they'd use them. For Northern UK travellers wanting to reach Singapore or onwards across Asia and Australia without trekking to Heathrow, this is a genuinely meaningful frequency boost.

London Gatwick gets the same treatment. From 25 October 2026, the three-times-weekly Singapore-Gatwick service (SQ314/SQ313) goes daily. Add that to the four daily Heathrow flights, and SIA will be running six daily services between Singapore and London. The Gatwick service only launched in June 2024, so going from launch to daily inside 28 months is a strong signal of how it has performed.

Singapore-Milan (SQ356/SQ355) increases from four-times weekly to daily from 25 October 2026. The current three-times-weekly Singapore-Milan-Barcelona tag service is being scrapped from 27 October 2026, with that capacity redirected into the new Madrid extension. Munich gains a brand-new three-times-weekly SQ340/SQ339 service from 26 October 2026, taking the city to 10 weekly services overall - a notable rebound considering Munich was cut to just five weekly flights during February 2026.

Singapore Airlines is a Star Alliance carrier, which means UK Avios collectors don't get a direct path here - Avios are oneworld currency. But there are still several relevant points routes worth knowing about:

American Express Membership Rewards in the UK transfers to Singapore KrisFlyer, giving Amex Platinum and Gold cardholders a direct route to redeem on these new services. SIA also runs monthly Spontaneous Escapes promotions offering up to 30% off Saver awards - well worth watching for once Madrid loads into the schedule. To scout availability when seats release, Smart Redemptions is great for browsing alongside Google Flights, and Award Travel Finder covers a growing list of programmes for direct award searches.

What I find most striking about this announcement isn't actually Madrid - it's the message it sends about SIA's UK strategy. Going daily from Manchester and Gatwick simultaneously, on top of an already-massive Heathrow operation, is a confident bet. SIA was making real cuts to European capacity over winter 2025-26 (Heathrow dropped from four to three daily for stretches; Munich went down to five weekly), so seeing the airline turn around and add this much UK and European capacity heading into the next winter is striking. Either UK demand has been performing very well, or SIA wants to lock in market share before competitors close the gap.

Madrid via Barcelona is the right commercial call. A nonstop would have grabbed bigger headlines, but would likely have struggled in shoulder seasons. By tagging Madrid onto Barcelona, SIA captures both markets while only marginally extending the route. The bigger question is what happens to overall award availability on the Barcelona service once Madrid demand kicks in - if Spain proves strong end-to-end, Saver seats out of BCN may become noticeably tougher to grab.

All the new and expanded services remain subject to regulatory approvals, so exact dates could shift slightly - but with the press release out, the new schedules should load into SIA's booking engine over the next few weeks. If you've been sitting on KrisFlyer miles, Membership Rewards, or Aeroplan points waiting for a 2027 Spain or Asia trip, this is a good moment to start watching the calendar.

Have you been planning a KrisFlyer redemption or are these new UK frequencies on your radar? Hit reply and let me know - I always enjoy hearing how readers are using these new options.