Why Singapore Airlines doesn’t fly to Canada
March 28, 2026
Singapore Airlines (SIA) operates some of the world’s longest routes, connecting the country to major North American destinations like New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle. With its ultra-long-haul Airbus A350-900s, the airline can serve the growing market. But despite tremendous demand, why doesn’t the Singaporean flag carrier fly to Canada?
Following years of negotiations on bilateral agreements between Singapore and Canada and multiple economic downturns, the Great White North proved a difficult market for the carrier to conquer, resulting in two complete pullouts over four decades.
It all began with negotiations on an air services agreement in the 1980s
For over four decades, the airline has had a love-hate relationship with Canadian authorities. What always seemed promising on paper didn’t quite work out for the carrier. Mainly Miles states that Singapore Airlines had been trying to negotiate an air services agreement with Canada since 1983.
The bilateral agreement was finally put into place in 1984, allowing Singapore Airlines, as well as Air Canada and Canadian Pacific Airlines, to exercise flight rights between the two countries. At the time, Air Canada could fly the Atlantic route, whereas Canadian Pacific got the Pacific side. While Singapore Airlines could use either side, it was highly restricted in the stopovers it must or must not take to reach Toronto or Vancouver.
SIA was also barred from offering Pacific (Vancouver) services before Canadian Pacific Airlines began its own services to Singapore. While SIA remained in the midst of restrictions, Air Canada launched its services from Toronto to Singapore via London and Bombay in 1985. In 1987, another bilateral agreement was negotiated, removing several restrictions on SIA – both on the Atlantic and Pacific routes.
SIA launches services to Canada for the first time
Following the lifting of restrictions, SIA launched twice-weekly services between Singapore and Vancouver via Seoul. With the fifth freedom rights already in place with South Korea, the airline operated its Boeing 747-200s and 747-300s, carrying as many as 400 passengers and 40 tonnes of freight each way.
Three years later, in June 1991, Singapore Airlines launched services to Toronto via Vienna and Amsterdam, making it the first Southeast Asian carrier to operate a transatlantic service.
Types of aircraft SIA operated on Canadian routes
| Aircraft type | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Boeing 747-200 Combi | At launch |
| Boeing 747-300 Combi | At launch |
| Boeing 747-300 | 1988 – 1995 |
| Boeing 747-400 | 1995 – 1998 |
| Airbus A340-300 | 1999 – 2002 |
| Boeing 777-200ER | 2002 – 2009 |
| Airbus A350-900 | 2021 – 2023 |
Source: Mainly Miles
Earlier that year, rising fuel prices due to the Gulf War had forced Air Canada to suspend all services to Singapore. It was no longer viable for the Canadian flag carrier to continue operating the route.
Canada cancels air services treaty with Singapore
Weeks after SIA launched its Toronto route, Canada canceled the air treaty with Singapore, accusing the airline of unfair competition on the Atlantic route. Despite SIA having a very small market share on the route, Canada determined that Air Canada’s Vienna route was hurting due to SIA’s fifth freedom operations to and from Toronto.
Following multiple failed negotiations with the authorities, SIA suspended its Toronto service in June 1992. The airline continued to operate the Vancouver route, particularly in light of newer, more viable agreements that were negotiated between 2000 and 2007. As a result of the global financial crisis in 2009, Singapore Airlines indefinitely suspended its Vancouver service in April 2009.
The last entry and the final exit
In 2021, more than 12 years after exiting the Canadian market, SIA announced that it would return services to Vancouver – this time nonstop with its Airbus A350-900 fleet. What was originally announced as a seasonal route became a year-round schedule by March 2022. However, that spell did not last very long.
The airline ceased its nonstop Vancouver route in October 2023, permanently exiting the Canadian market. Air Canada resumed its Singapore services after a 30-year break, operating 4x weekly nonstop flights between Vancouver and Singapore. It is unknown if SIA would return to the market, which never quite worked out for it.
Featured image: Ian Gratton / Wikimedia Commons
