Singapore service to expand

Singapore Airlines has added an extra weekly flight to its Wellington-Singapore service, the airline has announced.

The additional mid-week flight means the service, which travels via Melbourne, will operate five times a week instead of four.

The change comes into effect from January 1, subject to regulatory approval.

Singapore Airlines New Zealand general manager Kenny Teo said the extra flight was in response to increasing demand. ‘‘Since we launched the flight nearly three years ago as the Capital Express, we’ve seen the Wellington community embrace the opportunity to fly long-haul directly from Wellington.

‘‘Not only have Wellingtonians embraced travelling from their home airport to our global network of over 130 destinations, but travellers from around the world have continued to travel directly to Wellington to explore the vibrant city and the surrounding regions.’’

The increasing demand was helped by support from Wellington Airport, Wellington Tourism, the local travel industry, and airline partner Air New Zealand, Teo said.

The Wellington-Singapore route is a joint venture between the two airlines.

The extra flight will depart Singapore at 7.45pm every Wednesday, arriving in Wellington at 12.10pm (NZ time) on Thursday, following a 40-minute transit in Melbourne.

The return flight leaves Wellington at 1.30pm on Thursday, arriving in Singapore at 10.40pm local time. The transit in Melbourne is 1 hour and 20 minutes.

The other flights leave Singapore on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and depart from Wellington on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.