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Singapore Airlines kicks off thrice-weekly Sao Paulo flights

Originally published on www.businesstraveller.asia 28/03/2011 - Filed under: News »

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Singapore Airlines (SIA) is confident of the market potential of its newly launched Singapore-Sao Paulo flights.

SQ68 departed from the Lion City on Monday, March 28, 2011, kicking off the thrice-weekly service via Barcelona. Goh Choon Phong, SIA chief executive officer, told Business Traveller: “We’re the only airline flying direct from Southeast Asia to South America via Barcelona, and this is something we’ve worked very hard with our Star Alliance partner Spanair to achieve.”

The Spanish carrier’s JK code is also found on these ultra long-haul flights.

Goh reported that besides travellers from Singapore, those from Indonesia and China as well would be attracted to visit the destination. “There is even a good number of people in Shenzhen who like to travel. Our subsidiary Silkair can bring them to Singapore from where they can catch the Sao Paulo flight.”

There is also promising customer base between Barcelona and Sao Paulo, Brazil’s acknowledged commercial hub, according to SIA’s top executive. SIA is the first airline to fly to Sao Paulo from the Catalan city’s new Terminal 1 of El Prat Airport.

Goh observed that SIA's entry into South America, particularly Sao Paulo, was timely as it was Brazil's largest city which regularly hosted some 90,000 events a year, including the Formula 1 event later this year, and was the winner of the bids for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. "And trade ties between Asia and South America are building up," he said.

An earlier report on the new route (see news), carried by businesstraveller.asia, said the Singapore-Sao Paulo link would likely be the first of many more South American routes by the airline because of an Open Skies Agreement (OSA) signed between the city-state and Brazil last year. Qatar also flies to Sao Paulo as well as Argentina (see news), while Air Nippon Airways is codesharing with TAM between Tokyo and Sao Paulo via London.

The Boeing B777-300ER, utilised on the route, features SIA’s new-generation first class, business class and economy class seats and products, including the KrisWorld IFE which boasts more than 1,000 on-demand options.

For more details, visit www.singaporeair.com

Margie T Logarta

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COMMENTS » 

edinv54 - 29/03/2011 23:09

From my own travel with SPANAIR I know their code is JK and not JR!

alisha.h - 30/03/2011 12:07

You're right edvin54, thank you for your feedback. The copy has now been amended.

JuanEdwards - 31/03/2011 11:50

Mr. Goh Choon Phong, SIA chief executive officer, is wrong when he told Business Traveller that they are "the only airline from Southeast Asia flying direct to South America," because Malaysia Airlines (MH) has been flying between Kuala Lumpur to Buenos Aires, Argentina, via South Africa since the mid 1990s.

flythere - 03/04/2011 04:53

@Juan SQ has been that arrogant since they dont really put MH in their eyes.

alisha.h - 06/04/2011 16:30

Thank you for getting in touch JuanEdwards. We've taken your feedback on board and amended the copy to state that SIA is the only carrier flying to South America via Barcelona.

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