Dream stretches to capital

Airline mulls options for express service

Singapore Airlines is assessing new aircraft f or its ‘ Capital Express’ service out of Wellington, including using Boeing’s latest model stretched Dreamliner on the route.

The four-times-a-week service through Canberra to Singapore was a year old yesterday and the airline is marking the anniversary by off ering transtasman fares as low as $154.

The airline’s New Zealand manager, Simon Turcotte, said as more new aircraft entered its fleet it was looking to replace its older 777s on the route.

Singapore is the launch customer f or t he l atest Dreamliner, the 787-10, which will start flying next year. The airline has also taken delivery of 16 of the 67 Airbus A350s it has ordered and it was possible that aircraft could be used on the route.

“We’d be looking at replacing the 777-200s [with] either type of the aircraft so that’s something that passengers can look forward to,” he said.

Singapore Airlines was talking to Wellington Airport about suitability of either aircraft. The runway in the capital has length limitations.

Turcotte would not discuss passenger loads on the route over the past year but said his airline was pleased with the performance of the service.

“In the first year of operation we did have some learnings. Once you start operating a route you learn where passengers really want to go.”

The airline had done some tweaking of schedules.

Turcotte said Wellington and the surrounding region had been supportive of the service.

Wellington Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson said Asian visitor spend was $147 million for the Wellington region, up 16 per cent over the previous year while the rest of New Zealand was flat.

“Central New Zealand regions have also benefited si nce Singapore Airlines commenced their service with an 11 per cent increase in Asia visitor tourism spend.”

Singapore Airlines yesterday announced specials with flights from $154 one-way to Canberra and $997 return to Singapore.

Passengers connecting onwards from Singapore to any Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Scoot flight, can also buy stopover packages that includes accommodation, transfers and access to 19 local attractions from as little as $1.