Singapore Airlines (SIA) will resume flights to the Greek capital Athens on a temporary basis between June and October 2014 to meet expected demand during the peak summer travel season. The Asian carrier will introduce a twice weekly link from its Singapore Changi Airport hub between June 9, 2014 and October 9, 2014 using a Boeing 777-200ER.

The resumption of the link, albeit on a seasonal basis, will follow a year and a half hiatus after SIA closed the previous year-round operation in October 2011 and suspended the route fully in October 2012 after what it describes as a “prolonged period of challenging operating conditions”.

The resumption of the route provides Athens International Airport with new direct connectivity to Asia. The SIA service had been its sole remaining direct air link to Asia after Uzbekistan Airways ended its flight to Tashkent in May 2010 and then Thai Airways International closed its operation from Bangkok in November 2011.

According to MIDT data, an estimated 342,000 bi-directional O&D passengers travelled between Athens and destinations across Asia in 2012, with around 103,000 additional O&D passengers flying to destinations across Australasia. Much of this demand is currently being satisfied by Middle East carriers via their hubs. In the table below we highlight the largest O&D markets across Asia from Athens International Airport in 2012.