More flights to Australia from Singapore

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 44

More flights to Australia from Singapore

Capacity problems between Singapore and the South Pacific have been eased with a new agreement reached between Singapore Airlines and Qantas Airways. The agreement with Qantas enables the two airlines to fly the equivalent of seven more scheduled Boeing 747 flights a week between Singapore and Australia. Five of the seven new services will be introduced from today, with the further two flights scheduled to begin in April 1989, or as early as August 1988, depending on traffic demand. Under the agreement, Singapore Airlines gains operating rights to Cairns and Townsville. Qantas gains operating rights beyond Singapore to ’ additional points in Asia. The new agreement, which recognises the huge demand for capacity from Singapore to the South Pacific, will be submitted to the Governments of both countries for approval. Talks held between Singapore and New Zealand Government officials last week failed to reach agreement on a formula which would have enabled capacity between the two Countries to match market demand. However, the New Zealand side has undertaken to consider the proposal at further talks scheduled for next April.