20 January, 2016

Singapore Airlines confirms “Capital Express” route to Canberra

Singapore Airlines’ confirmation it will commence the first international flights into Canberra on September 20 has been met will glee by the tourism industry.

The new four times weekly Singapore-Canberra-Wellington service, first flagged by the Australian Financial Review (AFR) last week, was officially announced today.

To be known as the “capital express” route, the service will be operated with 266-seat Boeing 777-200 aircraft with 38 seats in business class and 228 in economy.

“This new service linking Singapore, Canberra and Wellington reflects the close ties between the three countries,” Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong said.

“We are excited about the prospects for our new ‘Capital Express’ route, which we are confident will appeal to leisure, government and corporate travellers.

“We are especially pleased to be bringing more convenient travel options to customers with Canberra’s first regularly scheduled international flights and the first non-stop links between the capitals of Australia and New Zealand.”

Flights for the new service, which is subject to regulatory approvals, which become available over the coming weeks.

The Tourism and Transport Forum branded it a “significant win” for the ACT visitor economy.

“We can mark on the calendar that today is the day that we can finally light up the word ‘international’ in Canberra International Airport,” chief executive Margy Osmond said.

“The ACT is an international tourist’s dream – home to some of Australia’s best food and wine experiences, cultural and sporting events, and iconic national attractions.

“With these new air services, more international visitors will be able to experience what Canberra has to offer.”

The new service also reflects the “growing maturity” of Canberra as a destination as well as Asia’s “love affair” with Australian culture and heritage, she continued. It will also create a vital direct link with the New Zealand market.

The Australian Tourism and Export Council (ATEC) was also buoyed by news of the service which it described as a “great win”.

“Canberra offers visitors world class attractions with galleries, impressive nature reserves, a thriving food and wine scene as well as signature events, so this announcement is a great win for the region,” managing director Peter Shelley said.

“The Canberra tourism export sector, led by VisitCanberra and the re-developed Canberra Airport, have been unified in their efforts to attract direct international air services over recent years and today is just rewards for their collective efforts.”

Now, the challenge is to grow awareness of the destination which Shelley said can only be achieved through “long term and dedicated” marketing efforts.

Image credit: iStock

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