Category Archives: SilkAir

Singapore Airlines updates its schedules through January, the return of the Singapore 737!

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SilkAir will continue to restore services and rebuild their network in the coming months. In addition to the services that were announced earlier this month, SIA will reinstate flights to Nagoya and San Francisco between December 2020 and January 2021. Both carriers will also increase frequencies on selected services.

Scoot’s services to Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Perth will be temporarily suspended, while SIA and SilkAir will increase their frequencies on those routes. At the same time, SIA and SilkAir will temporarily suspend services to Penang, Surabaya and Taipei while Scoot will operate to these destinations at higher frequencies. These changes, which are subject to regulatory approvals, are expected to take place in November and December 2020.

The affected travel period for these destinations are as follows:

• Kuala Lumpur: From 17 November 2020
• Manila: From 4 December 2020
• Penang: From 8 December 2020
• Perth: From 5 December 2020
• Surabaya: From 9 December 2020
• Taipei: From 16 December 2020

Customers with existing bookings on the affected flights for Penang, Surabaya and Taipei will be accommodated on Scoot’s flights, and receive notifications of the new flight details from 23 November 2020.

The adjustment of services between SIA, SilkAir and Scoot are the result of a detailed review to determine which airlines in the SIA Group portfolio are best suited to meet evolving customer and cargo demand.

As a result of these changes, the Group’s passenger capacity will reach approximately 19% of its pre-Covid-19 levels1 by the end of January 2021.

The SIA Group continues to grow its passenger capacity and resume selected services in a safe and calibrated manner. This is partly driven by recent moves to ease restrictions on both transit and inbound passengers in a safe and gradual manner, helping to support an increase in travel demand. This also comes amid some early signs of optimism about a recovery in air travel, as well as ongoing positive developments in both testing regimes and potential vaccines. Capacity increases are also underpinned by continued strong demand for air cargo around the world, with available freight space remaining constrained compared to pre-Covid-19 levels.

We are currently flying to the following countries and regions:

  • South East Asia
    • Brunei; Cambodia; Indonesia; Malaysia; Thailand; The Philippines; Vietnam
  • North Asia
    • China; Hong Kong SAR China; Japan; South Korea; Taiwan, China
  • West Asia and Africa
    • Bangladesh; Maldives; Nepal; South Africa
  • South West Pacific
    • Australia; New Zealand
  • Europe
    • Denmark; France; Germany; Italy; Spain; Switzerland; The Netherlands; The United Kingdom; Turkey
  • The Americas
    • The United States

Photo: Singapore Airlines. The SilkAir 737s are now getting the Singapore livery as SilkAir is gradually merged into the parent company.

Singapore Airlines Group cuts 96% of its capacity and grounds 185 aircraft

Singapore Airlines has made this announcement:

Singapore Airlines will be cutting 96% of the capacity that had been originally scheduled up to end-April, given the further tightening of border controls around the world over the last week to stem the Covid-19 outbreak.


This will result in the grounding of around 138 SIA and SilkAir aircraft, out of a total fleet of 147, amid the greatest challenge that the SIA Group has faced in its existence.


The Group’s low-cost unit Scoot will also suspend most of its network, resulting in the grounding of 47 of its fleet of 49 aircraft.

The SIA Group diversified its network and set up Scoot to spread its risks and cater to a wide range of passenger and market segments. However, without a domestic segment, the Group’s airlines become more vulnerable when international markets increasingly restrict the free movement of people or ban air travel altogether.

It is unclear when the SIA Group can begin to resume normal services, given the uncertainty as to when the stringent border controls will be lifted.

The resultant collapse in the demand for air travel has led to a significant decline in SIA’s passenger revenues.

The Company is actively taking steps to build up its liquidity, and to reduce capital expenditure and operating costs. As mentioned on March 17, 2020, SIA will continue to aggressively pursue all measures to address the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on the Company. These include:

• ongoing discussions with aircraft manufacturers to defer upcoming aircraft deliveries. If agreed, this will consequently defer payment for those aircraft deliveries;

• salary cuts for the SIA Group’s management with the Company’s Directors also agreeing to a cut in their fees, and a voluntary no-pay leave scheme up to certain management positions. Given the worsening situation, the unions have been engaged on the additional cost-cutting measures that are needed and more steps will

be taken imminently; and

• over the last few days, the SIA Group has drawn on its lines of credits to meet its immediate cash flow requirements. The SIA Group is engaging in discussions with several financial institutions for its future funding requirements.

The Company continues to explore measures to shore up its liquidity during this unprecedented disruption to global air travel. The Company will release further details when such measures have been firmed up.

Singapore Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

SilkAir aircraft photo gallery:

Scoot aircraft photo gallery:

Singapore Airlines and SilkAir to reduce services due to Covid-19 outbreak

Singapore Airlines and SilkAir will temporarily reduce services across our network due to weak demand as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Details of the affected flights can be found here.

We will continue to monitor the situation and make further adjustments as necessary.

Singapore Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

CNBC: Singapore Airlines’ order of 31 Boeing 737 MAX jets remains ‘intact,’ CEO says

SilkAir Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 9V-MBD (msn 44241) SIN (Pascal Simon). Image: 945011.

From CNBC:

“Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said Friday that an order for 31 Boeing 737 MAX jets remains “intact” despite the aircraft’s two deadly crashes.”

Read the full article.

Subsidiary SilkAir grounded its six Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in March.

Top Copyright Photo: SilkAir Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 9V-MBD (msn 44241) SIN (Pascal Simon). Image: 945011.

SilkAir aircraft slide show:

SilkAir launches its first flights between Singapore and Busan

SilkAir Boeing 737-8SA WL 9V-MGK (msn 44227) SIN (Michael B. Ing). Image: 939263.

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, launched the first nonstop flights between Singapore and Busan in South Korea.

The inaugural flight, MI876, departed Changi International Airport and arrived at Gimhae International Airport at 0707hrs (Korea time) the following day. The flight duration was 6 hours and 30 minutes.

The Singapore-Busan route will be served four times weekly, departing Singapore on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. SilkAir is currently the only airline offering regular services on the route. Customers can look forward to a full-service experience, including in-flight meals, wireless in-flight entertainment on SilkAir Studio, complimentary baggage allowance as well as through check-in if they are connecting to or from another SilkAir or Singapore Airlines point via Singapore.

The flights are currently operated with SilkAir’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Top Copyright Photo (all other photos by SilkAir: SilkAir Boeing 737-8SA WL 9V-MGK (msn 44227) SIN (Michael B. Ing). Image: 939263.

SilkAir aircraft slide show:

 

Scoot to drop four routes, SilkAir will no longer transfer its Boeing 737-800s to Scoot

Airline Color Scheme - Introduced 1989

Scoot has made this announcement:

Scoot will be suspending services to four cities – Lucknow, Kalibo, Quanzhou and Male – all served by the Airline’s Airbus A320 aircraft.

 

The last flights departing Singapore and the four cities are listed below, subject to regulatory approvals:

page1image3384155152

Sector

Flight/date

  

Departure*

Arrival *

Singapore to Lucknow

page1image3295410032

TR500 on 29 June 2019

1600hrs

 

 page1image3295419504

1835hrs

Lucknow to Singapore

TR501 on 29 June 2019

1935hrs

0325hrs (+1)
page1image3295436496

Singapore to Kalibo

page1image3295440256

TR372 on 30 June 2019

 page1image3295446400 page1image3295446784

1110hrs

 

1450hrs

Kalibo to Singapore

page1image3295457888

TR373 on 30 June 2019

1530hrs

page1image3295465344 page1image3295466960

1910hrs

Singapore to Quanzhou

TR178 on 24 August 2019

1110hrs

1545hrs

Quanzhou to Singapore

TR179 on 24 August 2019

 page1image3295491984

1645hrs

2110hrs
page1image3295496144

Singapore to Male

TR588 on 25 October 2019

 page1image3295508640 page1image3295509024

1825hrs

2005hrs

Male to Singapore

page1image3295519344 page1image3295520192

TR589 on 25 October 2019

 page1image3295525312

2105hrs

page1image3295526368 page1image3295526816

0455hrs (+1)

*All times local

Scoot has decided to suspend services to these four cities due to a combination of weak demand and a shortage of aircraft resources. The aircraft shortage is arising as SilkAir, due to the grounding of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet, will no longer transfer its Boeing 737- 800NG aircraft to Scoot in the financial year 2019/2020, as originally announced in November 2018. However, Scoot will continue to undertake the routes that SilkAir had earlier committed to transfer over, outlined in Annex A.

Scoot currently serves Lucknow1, Kalibo2 and Quanzhou three times weekly, and Male four times weekly.

Customers with existing bookings have been contacted and provided the following options:

1 Scoot serves Lucknow four times weekly in the month of June 2019.
2 Scoot serves Kalibo four times weekly for selected periods from now to the suspension of services.

Annex A

Subject to regulatory approvals, the 17 destinations SilkAir had earlier committed to transfer to Scoot are as follows:

  • Luang Prabang and Vientiane in Laos, in April 2019
  • Coimbatore, Trivandrum and Visakhapatnam in India, between May 2019 andOctober 2019
  • Changsha, Fuzhou, Kunming and Wuhan in China, between May 2019 and June2019
  • Chiang Mai in Thailand, in October 2019
  • Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, in December 2019
  • Balikpapan, Lombok, Makassar, Manado, Semarang and Yogyakarta in Indonesia,between May 2020 and July 2020

Top Copyright Photo: SilkAir Boeing 737-8SA WL 9V-MGN (msn 44230) BFI (Steve Bailey). Image: 929664.

SilkAir aircraft slide show:

SilkAir to transfer routes to Scoot ahead of merger into Singapore Airlines

SilkAir Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 9V-MBE (msn 44242) SIN (Pascal Simon). Image: 944508.

Scoot is to take over a number of SilkAir’s routes over the next two years, ahead of SilkAir’s merger into Singapore Airlines (SIA). Scoot will also be transferring some of its services to existing destinations served by SIA and SilkAir.

The changes are expected to take place between April 2019 and the second half of 2020. They are the result of a detailed review to identify which airlines in the SIA Group portfolio are best suited to meet evolving customer demand. The changes, which are subject to regulatory approvals, are planned as follows:


From SilkAir to Scoot:

  • Luang Prabang and Vientiane in Laos, in April 2019
  • Coimbatore, Trivandrum and Visakhapatnam in India, between May 2019 and October 2019
  • Changsha, Fuzhou, Kunming and Wuhan in China, between May 2019 and June 2019
  • Chiang Mai[1] in Thailand, in October 2019
  • Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, in December 2019
  • Balikpapan, Lombok, Makassar, Manado, Semarang and Yogyakarta in Indonesia, between May 2020 and July 2020


From Scoot to SIA (Both are existing SIA destinations):

  • Bengaluru and Chennai in India, in May 2019 and May 2020

From Scoot to SilkAir (Both are existing SilkAir destinations):

  • Shenzhen in China, from June 2019
  • Kochi in India, from October 2019


In addition, SilkAir will be converting its Mandalay route to a seasonal service. Existing services will end in March 2019 and will resume in November 2019, continuing until January 2020. Scoot will meanwhile be suspending services to Honolulu with effect from June 2019 as a result of weak demand.

Dates are indicative as a result of required regulatory approvals. Customers with existing bookings will be provided the option to switch to the new Scoot, SIA or SilkAir flights where possible, or be provided refunds.

“We are now at the half-way mark in our three-year Transformation Program, and this announcement represents another significant development. The route review will strengthen the SIA Group for the long term, with the right vehicles in our portfolio of airlines deployed to the right markets,” said SIA CEO, Mr Goh Choon Phong.

SIA announced in May that its regional wing SilkAir is to undergo a significant investment programme to upgrade its cabin products ahead of its eventual merger into SIA. The programme will see SilkAir’s cabins fitted with new lie-flat seats in Business Class, and the installation of seat-back in-flight entertainment systems in both Business Class and Economy Class.

The investments will ensure closer product and service consistency across the SIA Group’s full-service network. Low-cost subsidiary Scoot’s fleet will meanwhile be expanded with the transfer of 14 Boeing 737-800s from SilkAir, while SilkAir will continue growing its operations in the years ahead as it takes delivery of new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

(1) Existing Scoot destination.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airlines): SilkAir Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 9V-MBE (msn 44242) SIN (Pascal Simon). Image: 944508.

SilkAir aircraft slide show:

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Goodbye SilkAir, SilkAir to undergo major cabin product upgrade and will be merged into Singapore Airlines

SilkAir Airbus A319-133 9V-SBH (msn 4259) HKT (Richard Vandervord). Image: 923656.

Singapore Airlines has made this announcement:

Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) regional wing, SilkAir, is to undergo a significant investment program to upgrade its cabin products as part of a multi-year initiative that will ultimately see it merged into Singapore Airlines.

The program will comprise investment of more than $100 million to upgrade the wholly owned subsidiary’s cabins with new lie-flat seats in Business Class, and the installation of seat-back in-flight entertainment systems in both Business Class and Economy Class. This will ensure closer product and service consistency across the SIA Group’s full-service network.

Above Photo: SilkAir. SilkAir’s MAX 8 Business Class seats.


Aircraft cabin upgrades are expected to start in 2020 due to lead times required by seat suppliers, including to complete certification processes. The merger will take place only after a sufficient number of aircraft have been fitted with the new cabin products. Specific details will be announced progressively as the program develops and timelines are finalised.


Consistent with ongoing efforts to optimise the SIA Group’s network, there will also be transfers of routes and aircraft between the different airlines in the portfolio.


SilkAir is the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, operating a fleet of 11 Airbus A320 family aircraft and 22 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft. It is currently transitioning to an all-737 fleet, and serves 49 destinations in 16 countries.


It launched in 1989 as Tradewinds the airline, initially focusing on holiday destinations in Southeast Asia. Renamed SilkAir in 1992, it expanded progressively across Asia in subsequent years as it evolved from a holiday resort airline to a full-fledged, full-service regional carrier.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by SilkAir): SilkAir Airbus A319-133 9V-SBH (msn 4259) HKT (Richard Vandervord). Image: 923656.

SilkAir aircraft slide show:

Singapore Airlines and SilkAir to codeshare with Fiji Airways

Airline Color Scheme - Introduced 1989

Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Fiji Airways have announced the signing of a codeshare agreement that will provide more convenient connections for customers travelling to Fiji from 10 destinations in Asia and Europe through the Singapore hub.

Under the agreement, Singapore Airlines and SilkAir customers can access Fiji Airways’ nonstop flights between Singapore and Nadi, including the airline’s third weekly seasonal service that was launched on April 4, 2018. Customers can also travel on codeshare flights between Nadi and three domestic destinations, including the Fijian capital Suva, Labasa, and Savusavu.

In turn, Fiji Airways customers will be able to access Singapore Airlines and SilkAir-operated flights to destinations in, China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

The codeshare flights are subject to regulatory approvals.

Top Copyright Photo: SilkAir Boeing 737-8SA WL 9V-MGN (msn 44230) BFI (Steve Bailey). Image: 929664.

SilkAir aircraft slide show:

Fiji Airways aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Fiji Airways (2nd) Boeing 737-8X2 WL DQ-FJH (msn 29969) SYD (Keith Burton). Image: 926459.

Fiji Airways (2nd) Boeing 737-8X2 WL DQ-FJH (msn 29969) SYD (Keith Burton). Image: 926459.

SilkAir to transfer three routes to Scoot

Airline Color Scheme - Introduced 1989

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines (SIA), will be transferring its services to Langkawi in Malaysia, Pekanbaru in Indonesia and Kalibo in the Philippines to Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of SIA. SilkAir’s last Langkawi, Pekanbaru and Kalibo services are scheduled for April 8, May 30 and June 28, 2018 respectively. Currently, SilkAir flies three times weekly to each destination.

The transfer of the three services to Scoot will optimize aircraft utilization within the SIA Group, at the same time better matching travel demand. Scoot already operates three and four weekly services to Langkawi and Kalibo respectively, while Pekanbaru will be a new addition to the network. With the transfers, Scoot will progressively adjust its services to Langkawi and Kalibo in the coming months to provide more options and convenience to customers. Scoot also targets to commence sales for Pekanbaru in the first half of 2018, subject to final regulatory approval.

SilkAir will maintain its flights to three other points in Malaysia, namely Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur and Penang. For Indonesia, the airline will continue to operate to 10 other points: Balikpapan, Bandung, Denpasar (Bali), Lombok, Makassar, Manado, Medan, Semarang, Surabaya and Yogyakarta. In the Philippines, SilkAir will continue to operate flights to Cebu and Davao.

With the addition of Pekanbaru, as well as Kuantan and Berlin which will be launched in February and June 2018 respectively, Scoot’s network will span 66 cities across 18 countries and territories. Specifically in Indonesia, Scoot’s destination count will rise to five; the existing destinations being Denpasar (Bali), Jakarta, Surabaya and Palembang.

Top Copyright Photo: SilkAir Boeing 737-8SA WL 9V-MGN (msn 44230) BFI (Steve Bailey). Image: 929664.

SilkAir aircraft slide show:

Scoot aircraft slide show:

Below Copyright Photo: Scoot-flyscoot.com (Singapore Airlines) Airbus A320-232 9V-TAX (msn 4812) BKK (Michael B. Ing). Image: 940559.

Scoot-flyscoot.com (Singapore Airlines) Airbus A320-232 9V-TAX (msn 4812) BKK (Michael B. Ing). Image: 940559.