Singapore Airlines will launch a non-stop service on the Singapore London Gatwick route from June 2024, operating five times weekly with Airbus A350-900s.
The new route will add to the carrier’s four-times-daily service to London Heathrow and bring its total services to London to 33 weekly from 28.
“Renowned as one of the world’s best carriers, we are delighted to welcome Singapore Airlines to London Gatwick,” says Stewart Wingate, chief executive of London Gatwick.
“It showcases the high regard with which Gatwick is held, and connection to the impressive Changi Airport is a big boost for the whole region.”
Also adding capacity to London is Indian carrier Vistara, a joint venture between SIA and India’s Tata Group. The carrier will boost its Mumbai-London Heathrow route to daily in March 2024, up from four times weekly.
The carrier will also add a second daily service on the Mumbai-Singapore route in February 2024, using A321neos.
In addition, Vistara recently recommenced a four-times-weekly service on the Mumbai-Doha route, also using A321neos.
“Based on the remarkable response to Vistara’s Middle Eastern routes, we are confident that the launch of operations to Doha will further strengthen our footprint in the region,” says Vistara chief executive Vinod Kannan.
“Doha – an essential commercial hub and home to a large Indian diaspora – is Vistara’s fiftieth destination and the sixth in the Middle East.”
Observing a rise in demand from China, Thai AirAsia will launch a new four-times-weekly Bangkok Don Mueang-Shanghai service from February 2024.
The service will be operated with A320s and will add to Thai AirAsia’s existing Bangkok Suvarnabhumi-Shanghai service. At present, Thai AirAsia operates to 11 Chinese cities.
In Indonesia, TransNusa says it will add four new international destinations in 2024.
“Next year, we plan to focus on destinations in the Asia-Pacific region as well as further strengthen our presence in the Singaporean and Malaysian markets,” says chief executive Bernard Francis.
“The service we offer on our international flights is above the level of a low-cost carrier.”
The carrier is also increasing the frequency of its Jakarta-Guangzhou service to seven times weekly from three times weekly now.
Vietnam low-cost carrier Vietjet will launch a four-times-weekly service on the Ho Chi Minh-City Vientiene route from 25 February. The carrier has also launched a daily Ho Chi Minh City-Siem Reap service.
Another Vietnam carrier, Vietravel Airlines, announced that it is contemplating services to Japan after meeting with Japanese officials from the Kagawa and Fukushima prefectures.
Hong Kong Airlines, meanwhile, boosted its Hong Kong-Seoul service to seven times weekly from four times weekly from 17 December, as it also launches winter services to two Japanese leisure destinations, Yonago and Hakodate.
