Support grows for Asia express route
Southeast Asia is proving to be a hot spot for Wellingtonians taking advantage of Singapore Airlines’ flights into the capital.
Since September 2016, the airline has flown Boeing 777-200 aircraft from Wellington to Singapore via Canberra four times a week, a service aviation experts said appeared to be winning support.
The ‘‘capital express’’ service helps travellers reach 135 destinations in 37 countries.
So far, the most popular destinations for passengers from Wellington is Canberra, followed by Colombo in Sri Lanka, then New Delhi, India’s capital.
Singapore Airlines’ New Zealand general manager, Simon Turcotte, said the service appealed to Kiwis’ travel appetites.
"Being able to travel long-haul from their own airport is something that Wellingtonians have told us they really value."
Simon Turcotte, Singapore Airlines' NZ general manager
‘‘Kiwis love to explore and being able to travel long-haul from their own airport is something that Wellingtonians have told us they really value,’’ Turcotte said.
‘‘When we look at where Wellingtonians have travelled using the Capital Express service, it highlights their appetite exploring Southeast Asia.’’
Customers had also taken advantage of the company’s regional airlines to connect to other destinations, Turcotte said.
Customers from around the globe were also using the direct for services to touch down in the capital. ‘‘It has been an exciting 12 months since we launched the first flight and we are looking forward to continuing to connect Wellington to the world,’’ he said.
The Singapore Airlines service has been in the headlines, both for its improved connectivity to Asia, the fact that it is the first scheduled wide-bodied service from Wellington, and the support the airline received to bring it here.
When the service was confirmed, Wellington’s then deputy mayor, Justin Lester, said it would cut the time it took to get from central New Zealand to Asia by at least 90 minutes.
In the following days documents emerged showing the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency could offer up to $800,000 a year in marketing support for the service, for 10 years.