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Scoot Resumes Flights to Gold Coast

A Scoot Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on final in Singapore. Benny Zheng [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

The first half of every year tends to be a slower period for travel as, and now even more so as the Covid-19 Omicron variant surges through the globe and continues to stall the aviation industry’s recovery.

And even though the Vaccinated Travel Lanes were successful in boosting recovery, a slight halt on ticket sales and flight quotes have once again delayed the recovery process of the Singapore Airlines Group – which managed to ferry almost 600,000 passengers between national carrier Singapore Airlines and low-cost carrier Scoot in December 2020.

To navigate through the storms that Omicron threatens to keep bringing – particularly in Asia whereby the virus seems to have a more acute and prolonging effect as compared to other regions – the airline group would have to keep adjusting its network according to the ever-changing market conditions, wherever an opportunity arises.

A Date At The Beach

And this strategy is exactly what Scoot is practicing as following the announcement of quarantine-free international travel into Queensland, the low-cost arm of the Singapore Airlines Group has decided to take the opportunity to become the first airline to resume flight services between Singapore and Gold Coast.

Scoot Chief Executive Officer, Campbell Wilson, said, “Scoot is delighted to be the first airline to resume international flights to and from Gold Coast. Having flown more than 65 million customers with over close to a decade of flights, Australia remains a much-loved travel destination. Scoot served close to 130,000 travelers between Singapore and Gold Coast alone in 2019, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With our current network of 70 destinations, Scoot is looking forward to providing customers with opportunities to once again reignite their wanderlust, reunite with loved ones, and reconnect with concordant business counterparts.”

With effect from Valentine’s Day, the three-times-weekly flight service will operate as TR6 towards Gold Coast. The addition of the beachy destination marks the fourth Australian city that Scoot is providing flight services to – alongside Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Even though Scoot has been continuously operating flights into and out of Australia, the resumption of flights between Singapore and Gold Coast allows for the low-cost carrier to better support a myriad of business and leisure travel needs.

Queensland Airports Limited CEO, Chris Mills, welcomed news of Scoot returning to the Gold Coast. “We can’t wait to see Scoot again, and welcome visitors from Singapore back to the Gold Coast,” he said. “It is fantastic to have a date for Scoot recommencing services, so soon after the Queensland border was reopened to international travelers. Many locals will be keen to book their trip, whether it’s to catch up with family and friends or experience everything Singapore has to offer. And the Gold Coast will be a very attractive destination for international visitors.”

Uncertainty in Australia

Although the news of resumption is certainly welcoming for Scoot, the same still can’t yet be said for Singapore Airlines as the national carrier had to delay the quarantine-free flights from Singapore to Perth, which was planned to commence on February 5.

Whilst Singapore Airlines continues to operate quarantine-free flights under the Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme from Perth to Singapore, the lack of the other direction is still a key hindrance in the airline’s recovery as Australia remains an immensely popular market for all types of travelers.

Unfortunately, the uncertainty in Australia keeps growing as the reopening of certain borders still remains exceptionally delayed with the rising number of infections within the country, even forcing the hands of the Qantas Group had to cut down on both its domestic and international capacity through end-March.

Charlotte Seet

Author

  • Charlotte Seet

    Fascinated by aircraft from a very young age, Charlotte’s dream was to work alongside the big birds one day. Pursuing her dream, she went on to achieve her diploma in Aviation Management and is currently working on her degree in Aviation Business in Administration with a minor in Air Traffic Management. When she’s not busy with school assignments, you can find her aircraft spotting for long hours at the airport. In Charlotte’s heart, the Queen of the Skies will always be her favorite aircraft.

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