Scoot, Singapore Airlines To Increase Flying As Asian Restrictions Lift

Credit: Rob Finlayson

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and LCC subsidiary Scoot are ramping up capacity in Asia as COVID-19 travel restrictions in the region ease.

Scoot is also launching two new routes to Indonesia, starting with a 2X-weekly service between Singapore (SIN) and Lombok (LOP) in Indonesia from Oct. 16. That will be followed by 2X-weekly service between SIN and Makassar (UPG in Indonesia from Oct. 24. Both routes will be operated with Airbus A320 aircraft.

Scoot additionally will restart 2X-weekly service to two more Indonesian cities served prior to the pandemic, Jogyakarta (JOG) from Oct. 15 and Pekanbaru (PKU) from Oct. 24.

Meanwhile, SIA flights to Japan will be boosted at the end of this month. The carrier will add a second daily frequency on both the SIN-Tokyo Haneda (HND) and SIN-Osaka (KIX) routes from Oct. 30. Scoot will also operate seasonal 4X-weekly flights between SIN and Sapporo (CTS) from Nov. 2 to Feb. 27, 2023. On Nov. 1, Scoot will additionally begin flying a 3X-weekly SIN-Taipei (TPE)-CTS routing.

SIA will add a third daily frequency on the SIN-Seoul Incheon (ICN) route from Oct. 30. On the same date, Scoot will resume a 5X-weekly SIN-TPE-ICN routing.

From Oct. 31, SIA will boost frequencies on the SIN-Taipei route to daily from 3X-weekly currently. Between SIA services to TPE and Scoot’s routings through TPE, SIA Group will operate 18X-weekly flights to Taipei.

With Hong Kong (HKG) lifting mandatory hotel quarantines for arriving passengers, SIA will boost service to HKG, planning to go from 2X-daily to 3X-daily service on the SIN-HKG route once it gains regulatory approval. Scoot’s 4X-weekly service on the SIN-HKG route will increase to daily from Oct. 30.

SIA said it reinstated 2X-weekly SIN-Beijing (PEK) service on Sept. 27 and will resume weekly service to Chengdu (CTU) from Oct. 11. The airline “aims to increase frequencies and resume services to more points in mainland China, subject to regulatory approvals,” SIA Group said in a statement.

“Many customers are especially keen on destinations that have remained largely closed over the last few years,” SIA Group senior VP JoAnn Tan said. “The SIA Group aims to offer even more value and options for our customers as they make their holiday plans, and we will be nimble in adjusting our services in response to the demand for air travel.”

Aaron Karp

Aaron Karp is a Contributing Editor to the Aviation Week Network.