Just in: Singapore Airlines brings A380 back to Auckland

Frankfurt loses the superjumbo in a seasonal swap, as Singapore Airlines brings the A380 back to Auckland- at Frankfurt’s expense. It will receive an extra route to compensate for the capacity loss. At the same time, Singapore Airlines will resume daily Airbus A380 service to Auckland starting in January 2026.  Let’s uncover more details on the matter.

Singapore Airlines’ A380 started its service to London in November 2021

When the coronavirus epidemic brought travel to a complete halt in March 2020, Singapore Airlines was the first airline to ground the Airbus A380. For the first time, the aircraft was used again after being grounded for about 20 months.

The Airbus A380 began daily service between Singapore and London on November 18, 2021, by Singapore Airlines. The following routes were planned for the A380:

SQ322 Singapore to London departing 11:45 PM arriving 5:55 AM (+1 day).

SQ317 London to Singapore departing 10:55 AM arriving 7:50 AM (+1 day).

The 471 seats on Singapore Airlines’ A380s were divided among 6 Suites, 78 Business Class, 44 Premium Economy, and 343 Economy seats. As a point of comparison, Singapore Airlines operated 19 Airbus A380s before the outbreak. After announcing in late 2020 that the airline would retire seven A380s, it eventually had twelve A380s.

Singapore Airlines brings the A380 back to Auckland – at Frankfurt’s expense

By mid-January 2026, Singapore Airlines will resume daily superjumbo service to Auckland, bringing the flagship Airbus A380 back to New Zealand. In almost two years, during the busiest southern summer travel season, the airline will be operating its inaugural A380 flights to the “land of the long white cloud.”

Auckland’s A380 service has been restored.

The Airbus A380 will replace the Boeing 777-300ER on Singapore Airlines’ route SQ285 from Singapore to Auckland from January 18 to March 28, 2026. From January 19, 2026, until March 29, 2026, the A380 will fly the matching return flight, SQ286.

The airline’s Auckland itinerary looks like this, with the SQ281/282 Airbus A350 Long Haul service—a second daily option on the route during this time—continuing.

However, this comes at a cost.

During the northern winter season (southern summer), Singapore Airlines usually adds a third daily route to Auckland. This year is no different, with SQ287/288 using an Airbus A350 Long Haul and starting service on October 26, 2025. However, this extra rotation will end on January 17, 2026, when the A380 replaces the SQ285/286 flights. Although the resumption of the A380 significantly increases the availability of First Class and Suites, the overall seat capacity on the route from mid-January to late March 2026 is reduced by 6%.

A380 Cabin Products

Singapore Airlines’ newest cabin items to New Zealand, which were last seen on this route in March 2024, will reappear with the reintroduction of the A380. Take a look.

2017 Suites

The newest Suites cabin, which can accommodate just six people and is situated on the forward upper deck with three seats on each side of a central aisle, is the main selling point of the recently configured A380s.

Despite not including showers in the most recent A380 configuration, Singapore Airlines has included two spacious restrooms at the front of the aircraft, one so spacious that it has its own private vanity area.

Suite selection

The Suite seat map will be very user-friendly starting in mid-January 2026 if you’re traveling on the Auckland route on an Airbus A380 (SQ285/286).

Couples prefer the double suites at 1A/2A or 1F/2F. In this case, the partition between the apartments can be retracted to accommodate a double bed arrangement.

It is not possible to combine suites 3A and 3F with other suites; they are stand-alone alternatives. In addition, they are the smallest in size and near the galley, which may cause some noise and light disturbance.

2017 Business Class

The outstanding Business Class offering in the fleet, which takes up the remaining upper deck in a 1-2-1 arrangement, is another fantastic feature of the new Singapore Airlines A380 cabins.

In addition to the “double bed” that is available at the three bulkhead locations (Rows 11, 91, and 96), couples traveling together can choose to remove the divider at the middle seat pairs.

Amenity kits, personal entertainment systems, and individualized service are available for all the passengers.

Wrapping Up

It’s fantastic news for travelers to and from New Zealand that Singapore Airlines brings the A380 back to Auckland – at Frankfurt’s expense, starting in January 2026. The airline’s newest Suites and Business Class services will be available again for the southern summer.

The seasonal reshuffle reflects SIA’s efforts to align aircraft deployment with peak demand, even if it implies some trade-offs. This is evident in the increased award space in Business Class to Auckland and the increased flexibility for passengers traveling to Frankfurt.

The aircraft assignments for the summer 2026 season are still tentative, and our team will closely monitor any changes as plans on these routes resume as usual in April of the following year. Stay tuned.

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