16-Hour Flights: Singapore Airlines Launches New Ultra-Long Route [Map]

Singapore Airlines will restore passenger service to Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) for the first time since 2004, launching five weekly flights on October 26, 2026. The route will operate via Barcelona, marking the airline’s return to Spain’s political and financial hub while expanding its European network to 15 destinations. Reservations opened on June 8, and the service will connect Singapore to Madrid and Barcelona in a single rotation, replacing the current nonstop flights to Barcelona and the Milan-Barcelona service. The move aligns with Singapore Airlines’ strategy to strengthen its presence in Europe, where demand for travel remains high. Madrid serves as a key gateway between Europe and Latin America, offering onward connections through alliance partners. The airline’s Senior Vice President of Marketing Planning, Dai Haoyu, noted that the new route reflects growing demand for European travel and reinforces Singapore Changi Airport’s role as a global transit hub. Instead of operating standalone flights to Madrid, Singapore Airlines will use a Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid routing, allowing passengers to access both Spanish cities with a single itinerary. This approach also optimizes aircraft deployment, consolidating capacity while maintaining access to Barcelona. For travelers, the route provides greater flexibility, offering connections to Southeast Asia, East Asia, India, Australia, and New Zealand via Singapore Changi. Local authorities in Spain have welcomed the announcement, citing economic benefits from increased tourism, business travel, and trade links between Spain and Southeast Asia. The new service is expected to generate hundreds of millions of euros in economic activity. Madrid’s return to the Singapore Airlines network also underscores Spain’s growing importance as both a tourism and business destination in Europe.