Southeast Asia is proving to be a well-liked destination for Wellingtonians using Singapore Airlines flights to the capital.
Since September 2016, the airline has been flying the Boeing 777-200 from Wellington to Singapore via Canberra 4 times per week, a move that aviation experts say is being supported.
The capital express service helps travelers reach 135 destinations in 37 countries. So far, the most well-liked destinations for passengers from Wellington are Delhi, Canberra, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Phuket, Colombo and Kuala Lumpur.
Singapore Airlines New Zealand CEO Simon Turcotte said the service would satisfy New Zealanders’ appetite to travel.
“Kiwis love to explore and being able to travel long distances from their own airport is something Wellingtonians say they really value,” Turcotte said.
“When we look at the places Wellingtonians have traveled on Capital Express, it shows their appetite to explore Southeast Asia.”
Turcotte said customers also used the corporate’s regional airline services to connect with other destinations.
Not only Wellingtonians benefited from the brand new service.
Customers from all around the world also used direct landing services within the capital.
“It has been an exciting 12 months since the first flight launched and we look forward to continuing to connect Wellington with the world,” he said.
The Singapore Airlines service has made headlines, each for its improved connections to Asia, the proven fact that it’s the primary scheduled widebody service from Wellington, and the support the airline has received to bring it here.
When the service was confirmed, then deputy mayor of Wellington Justin Lester said the short tarmac time in Canberra meant the service would scale back the time it might take to get from central New Zealand to Asia by a minimum of 90 minutes.
In the times that followed, documents emerged showing that the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency could provide as much as $800,000 a 12 months in marketing support for the service for 10 years.
Top 10 destinations for Wellingtonians:
- Canberra
- Colombo
- Delhi
- Hanoi
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Kuala Lumpur
- London
- Bombay
- Phuket
- Singapore
Top 10 places from which individuals travel to Wellington:
- Bangkok
- Canberra
- Delhi
- Frankfurt
- Jakarta
- Kuala Lumpur
- London
- Manila
- Bombay
- Singapore
Source: Things
