New service from Singapore to Saudi
Air Astana launches new route to Guangzhou, and EVA Air to Washington
New service from Singapore to Saudi
Air Astana launches new route to Guangzhou, and EVA Air to Washington
February 20th, 2026. Singapore Airlines has lined up a new non-stop service from the Lion City to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital and financial hub. The service takes off on June 2nd and will operate on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
“Our return to Riyadh comes amid its thriving business environment and ambitious development, which make it one of the Middle East’s most dynamic cities,” said Lee Lik Hsin, the Airline’s Chief Commercial Officer.
Flight number SQ498 will depart from Singapore’s Changi Airport at 18:20 and arrive at King Khaled International Airport, Riyadh at 21:45. The return leg, flight number SQ499, will leave Riyadh at 23:00 and arrive back in Singapore at 12:15 the next day.
An Airbus A350-900 will serve the route, and the journey time will be around eight and a half hours for the outbound flight, and a little shorter for the return.
Astana to Guangzhou
June 2nd will also see Air Astana introduce a new route to China. The service will link the Kazakh capital, Astana, with Guangzhou. The flight will depart twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Flight number KC8217 will depart from Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport, Astana, at 18:45 and will arrive at Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport at 04:30 the following morning. The return leg, flight number KC8218, will leave Guangzhou at 05:45 on Wednesdays and Fridays, and will arrive back in Astana at 10:10.
The outbound journey will last six hours and forty-five minutes, and the return will be about seven and a half hours. The route will be served by Airbus A321 Neo aircraft.
Taipei to Washington DC
EVA Air will be expanding its reach into the US market with a new service linking Taipei with Washington DC. The service will operate four times a week on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Flight number BR4 will take off from Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei, at 19:30 and will touch down at Washington Dulles International Airport at 22:30. The return leg, flight number BR3, will leave Washington at 01:50 and arrive back in Taipei at 05:45 the following day.
From September, the return flight is scheduled to depart from Washington at 01:15, arriving back in Taipei at 05:10.
The flight will be served by Boeing 787-9 aircraft, and the journey time will be about fifteen hours for the outward trip and about sixteen hours for the return.
Picture: Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 via Wikimedia Commons
Hotel suggestions
Ramada by Wyndham, Riyadh
White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou
Arlo Washington DC
