Changi Airport Jetstar News

Jetstar increases Singapore network, secures Changi transit approval

Jetstar is adding Surabaya to its network in December and increasing flights on other routes, as the low-cost carrier becomes the fourth to gain approval to carry transit passengers through Changi Airport.

Singapore-based low-cost carrier Jetstar Asia has extended its flight schedule to the end of 2020, with one new route planned and more frequency hikes in the pipeline to and from four existing cities on its regional network.

The airline has also become the first non-SIA Group carrier to gain approval to carry passengers on transit itineraries through Singapore Changi Airport, starting next month.

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December 2020

Next month Jetstar Asia will add Surabaya to its passenger network, while increasing frequencies to as many as six times per week on some routes.

Singapore – Surabaya is currently being served by Singapore Airlines and Scoot, however Scoot will take over from SIA on the route from early December 2020, leaving Jetstar and Scoot as the sole operators.

Flights between Singapore and both Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh continue to operate with cargo only, carrying passengers on their return legs to Singapore, due to government-imposed entry restrictions in Thailand and Vietnam.

Based on FlightRadar24 data over the last week, Jetstar Asia continues to fly just three of its 18 Airbus A320s. The airline has already completed a downsizing exercise, which will see five of these 18 aircraft leaving the company by 2021, for a resized total of 13 jets post-COVID.

Three of Jetstar Asia’s Airbus A320s are currently flying. (Photo: icosha / Shutterstock)

Overall Jetstar Asia will operate 56 flights per week in November 2020, a 22% increase on November’s 46 flights per week. The airline usually operates around 580 flights per week, based on December 2019 data.

That lifts the airline’s capacity by flight volumes to around 10% of 2019 levels in December 2020.

Assuming the airline will recover to around 72% of its original size post-COVID-19 with a fleet of 13 Airbus A320s, in theory over 13% of its ultimate future schedule is already being operated.

Here’s how the frequency changes in December look compared to November 2020.