Travel News: KLM to increase Singapore-Bali Flights

KLM Royal Dutch Airline will increase its flights between Singapore and Bali starting on 26 March 2012. It will offer two additional flights, boosting its total frequency from five-weekly to daily.

Singapore-Bali services will operate using Boeing B777-300 and B777-200 aircraft which were configured with 35 business-class seats, and 390 or 283 economy-class seats, respectively.

Air France-KLM’s General Manager for Singapore, Indonesia, Australia & New Zealand, Paul Rombeek said: “We recognize the growing popularity of Bali as a travel destination and aim to offer passengers the best travel options with our new flights”.

“The introduction of daily flights to Bali will offer customers greater convenience and flexibility in planning their travel schedule when they fly with KLM,” he added.

Source:
TTG Asia

Travel News: Singapore-Bhutan direct flights put off Until September

DRUK Air – The national airline of the Kingdom of Bhutan which signed a memorandum of understanding with Changi Airport Group last August to conduct Singapore-Paro direct flights starting this March, is expected to carry through with the route launch in September – November instead, just before Bhutan’s peak autumn holiday season begins.

Karma Lotey, chairman of the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators and a member of Druk Air’s executive board said that the twice-weekly flights between Singapore and Paro, where Bhutan's only international airport is located, were now anticipated to commence on the month of September. This is because Druk Air has yet to acquire an additional Airbus A319 aircraft to ply the route.

The launching of the Singapore - Paro direct flights, which will take five hours including a 45-minute refueling stop in Kolkata, have already been postponed before and were initially scheduled to be available on May 17.

Lotey stated that “Singapore is a key transit hub for Bhutan’s two biggest inbound segments, the US and Japan. The decision to start flights to Singapore was therefore a natural one, after gathering feedback from our key customers”.

Bhutan’s flag carrier is also considering launching flights to Hong Kong, however this venture will be subject to the performance of the Singapore-Paro flights. Druk Air does not expect to introduce this route, aimed at capturing the mainland Chinese market, until at least 2014, Lotey added.

Source:
TTG Asia