Low-cost airlines information center
By Budget Airline News
Jetstar Airlines has announced it will cease direct flights between Singapore and Macau from February 6, 2012. The airline said it was for “commercial reasons”, likely due to a significant drop in the number of passengers on this route.
After Jetstar ends Singapore-Macau flight, there will be two other airlines service this route: Tiger Airways and Air Macau.
By Budget Airline News
Budget airline Jetstar has announced revisions to its flights from Darwin to Asia.
The airline will terminate its four-times weekly services from Darwin to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. However, Jetstar will add new services to Tokyo, Manila, and Singapore. From March 25, 2012, a new four-times weekly service will fly from Darwin into Manila and onto Tokyo. The current Darwin-to-Singapore route will grow from seven to 10 flights each week.
Jetstar chief executive for Australia and New Zealand, David Hall, said the flight changes would further cement the Northern Territory as the gateway into Singapore.
Mr Hall said the new services into Japan would also provide huge economic benefits to the territory. “We are always looking at opportunities to expand services through Darwin Airport,” Mr Hall said.
Introductory fares start from AUD $199 one-way from Darwin to Japan and are available via the Jetstar website.
By Budget Airline News
Jetstar Asia has announced that Ms Chong Phit Lian will step down from her position as Chief Executive Officer on 1 February 2012. Ms Chong has served as CEO of Singapore’s largest budget airline for six years. She will remain a member of the Jetstar Asia board to help guide continued growth.
Chairman of Jetstar Asia, Dennis Choo, said Ms Chong had made a tremendous contribution to developing the low cost carrier’s Singapore hub. “Since taking over as CEO of Jetstar Asia in 2006, Ms Chong has led a rapid and very successful expansion in a competitive environment,” said Mr Choo. “Jetstar is now the largest low cost carrier in Singapore and is extremely well-positioned to make the most of emerging opportunities in the region.”
Mr Choo said Jetstar Asia would soon add three A330s to the business and onto its Air Operators Certificate, taking on functional responsibility for all long-haul flights from Singapore.
With an expanding network into China, significant investment in wide-bodied operations and the prospect of the Boeing Dreamliner as part of the Jetstar Group fleet from mid-2013, there’s a pipeline of skills and innovation driving this business forward.
“We are very pleased that Ms Chong will remain on the board of Jetstar Asia and be part of this future expansion,” he added. Mr Choo said the executive search for a Singaporean-national CEO was well-advanced, with an announcement expected in early 2012. Mr Paul Daff, most recently Head of the Qantas Group Jetconnect subsidiary in New Zealand, would serve as interim Jetstar Asia CEO. A founding senior executive of Jetstar Asia for three years, Mr Daff was formerly the airline’s Head of Commercial and has extensive experience in the aviation industry.
CEO of the broader Jetstar Group, Bruce Buchanan, thanked Ms Chong for the leadership and passion she brought to her role.
“Six years ago there were many who regarded Jetstar Asia as the underdog in a crowded marketplace,” said Mr Buchanan.
“Ms Chong has been an important member of the Jetstar Group leadership team that has helped make Jetstar Asia a successful business in its own right and a key pillar in our broader pan-Asian strategy.
“In 2012 and beyond, our focus will be on leveraging Jetstar’s leadership position in stimulating new travel demand as well as strengthening links in our network between Singapore, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand,” said Mr Buchanan.
Jetstar Asia posted its largest profit to-date in 2010/11 of SGD18 million (normalised PBT) – the same year it achieved a 46 per cent increase in capacity and carried 2.7 million passengers. It currently flies to 27 destinations and has a fleet of 16 A320s.
By Budget Airline News
Budget airline Jetstar began its new route from Singapore to Beijing on Thursday, November 24, 2011. Jetstar is the first low-cost carrier to fly this route and capture the small business and leisure travel markets. Jetstar also plans to add two more routes from their base at Singapore’s Changi International Airport to China later in 2012.
“Things are moving very quickly in China,” Jetstar Asia Chief Executive Chong Phit Lian said. “It’s already the world’s third-largest outbound tourist market and moving up. The appetite for Chinese to visit Singapore and the region is growing.”
Jetstar will operate its new Singapore – Beijing route with an Airbus A330. The aircraft has 303 seats and a mixed business and economy class configuration. One-way fares start from SGD128 (USD105) with extra fees for checked luggage and on-board meals.
Jetstar’s Australian passengers can also take advantage of this new route to China. Travelers from Melbourne to Beijing can take a Jetstar flight with a brief stop-over in Singapore.
It is also anticipated that upcoming budget airline Scoot will fly the Singapore – Bejing route in 2012.
By Budget Airline News
Low fares leader Jetstar will continue its growth of international low fares services into China announcing another first with future and first time direct Singapore to Hangzhou services to commence in mid March.
Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province on the Chinese mainland east coast, is one of China’s most visited cities by tourists, attracting tens of millions annual visitors including increasing numbers of foreign travelers to its renowned natural beauty and historic and cultural heritage.
Commencing from 22 March 2011 Jetstar will become the first carrier to offer a non-stop Singapore to Hangzhou flights, which will be operated by carrier’s growing A320 fleet.
Initially flying three times weekly, Jetstar’s Singapore-Hangzhou flying will grow to four times weekly by 27 March 2011.
Hangzhou (Shanghai)* will become Jetstar’s seventh Chinese destination and its fourth Chinese market introduced in the past twelve months.
From Singapore Changi Airport Jetstar currently serves Haikou, Shantou and Guilin with multiweekly direct flights, and flies at least daily services from Singapore to Greater China destinations of Hong Kong, Taipei and Macau.
Jetstar Asia CEO Ms Chong Phit Lian joined Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport executives and Chinese Government officials in Hangzhou to announce details of the new service. “Hangzhou has long been in our sights as an important addition to our growing Chinese network served directly from our major Singapore flying hub at Changi,” Ms Chong said. “Hangzhou is one of China’s, if not the region’s, most desirable tourism spots and we have no doubt that our low fare offering will inspire more and more new and repeat travellers not only from Singapore but from other parts of the Jetstar network across the Asia Pacific to visit,” she said.
According to the Hangzhou Tourism Board, more than 500,000 Singaporeans visited Hangzhou last year and more than 300,000 Australians.
“As an emerging player in the Chinese market, we hope to play a positive future role in global aviation’s key future travel market. Our future planned Singapore-Hangzhou services form part of this strategy to further grow our low fare services to China,” Mr Buchanan said.
“This route will be particularly attractive to travellers from Zhejiang Province planning their travel to Singapore and then beyond to Jetstar’s Asia Pacific network of over 50 destinations. We will be focusing on marketing Singapore both as a hub and as a destination.”
By Budget Airline News
Jetstar has unveiled plans to launch Singapore’s first long haul low fare airline with services from Changi Airport commencing late in 2010. The low fares leader will operate its next two A330-200 aircraft from Singapore and will employ up to 200 new aviation jobs across its growing Pan Asian network including Pilots, Cabin Crew, Engineers and Airport Customer Service staff.
Jetstar presently flies up to 2000 weekly flights to 57 destinations with a fleet of 61 aircraft across the Asia Pacific Region. The first time launch of value based long haul flying in this market by Jetstar plans to introduce new services to Australia, North Asia and/or European destinations.
Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan said the airline was in discussions with several airports to finalise arrangements and hoped to soon launch commercial pre-flight sales. “Jetstar continues to grow strongly as we build our Pan-Asian presence,” Mr Buchanan said.
Jetstar Asia & Valuair Chief Executive Officer Ms Chong Phit Lian said the start of wide-body services later this year would see Jetstar become Singapore’s first long haul low fare airline. “It represents the latest and an important chapter in our Pan Asian network growth plans made possible through our partnership in growth with Singapore Changi Airport,” Ms Chong said.
Mr Yam Kum Weng, Executive Vice President Changi Airport Group, said: “We are pleased that Jetstar is on track to be the first airline at Changi Airport to offer low-cost long-haul flights for passengers. “This is an exciting development. It will give air travellers greater choice, while enhancing Singapore’s connectivity and attractiveness as an air hub. Changi Airport Group will continue to work with Jetstar to support its growth at Changi,” he said.
Jetstar’s A330-200 fleet is configured in two classes for 303 passengers and offers its international business class product StarClass. Jetstar long haul international services now operate from Australia directly into Asia and the Asia Pacific destinations of Bali, Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Phuket and Honolulu.
