Jetstar Asia, the Singapore-based operation of Australian carrier Jetstar Airways, is continuing its rapid growth in China with confirmation that it will launch services to Guangzhou before the end of this year. The airline has already more than doubled its capacity to China in the first nine months of this year.
The new link from Singapore to Guangzhou will be opened on December 22, subject to regulatory approval following the arrival of a 16th aircraft at its Changi International Airport base. Jetstar Asia already provides flights to Guilin, Haikou, Hangzhou and Shantou and added flights to Ningbo last month.
It will also introduce a connection to Beijing, which will commence on November 24. This will actually be flown by Jetstar’s Australia division and will represent an extension of its existing Melbourne – Singapore link.
Jetstar Asia carried an estimated 88,000 O&D passengers on these routes into China in the last 12 months, around 2.9 per cent of the total market and the latest expansion will cement its position as the leading low-cost carrier flying between Singapore and China.
According to Chong Phit Lian, Chief Executive Officer, Jetstar Asia, Guangzhou, one of Singapore’s closest trade and tourism partners, was an important next step in the carrier’s expansion into China. “Our commitment to Singapore-China routes over the past two years has made Jetstar the fastest growing carrier between the two countries,” she said.
“We increased our mainland China capacity by 300 per cent in 2010 and we expect it will rise a further 150 per cent in 2011 to unlock the latent travel demand that low fares create,” she added.
China Southern Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Tiger Airways already serve this trunk route with three, two and one daily frequency, respectively. Around 335,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route in the past year, each paying an average fare of $219 each way (a figure that has fallen by a quarter since Tiger Airways introduced low-cost flights) and Jetstar Asia will hope to generate traffic from its rivals as well as stimulating the market further when it launches its flights later this year.
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