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Qantas to go daily on Perth-Singapore

written by australianaviation.com.au | November 6, 2015

Qantas's Boeing 737-800 VH-XZP prepares to depart Perth for the resumption of the airline's Perth-Singapore service. (Chris Frame)
Qantas’s Boeing 737-800 retro jet VH-XZP operated the first Perth-Singapore service when the airline returned to the route in June. (Chris Frame)

Qantas will boost its Perth-Singapore flights to daily and add extra services between Sydney and Hong Kong over summer as the airline continues its Asian expansion with increased fleet utilisation and a flexible schedule designed to cater to peak demand.

Launched with five services a week in June, Qantas will add an extra two flights a week on the Singapore-Perth route from December 1 to offer a daily service that will operate year round.

Qantas exited year-round Perth-Singapore service with Airbus A330 aircraft in May 2014, but resumed flights between the West Australian capital and Singapore with smaller Boeing 737-800s.

“Perth-Singapore has been a success story since Qantas flights resumed in June,” Qantas International chief executive Gareth Evans said in a statement on Friday.

“We’ve had fantastic backing from the community and the time is right to go daily all year round.”

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Meanwhile, Qantas said it would offer 12 flights a week between Hong Kong and Sydney from December 11 2015 to March 23 2016, with two services a day on weekdays and one flight a day on the weekend.

The increases come on top of recent announcements covering seasonal increase to Manila, Jakarta and Hong Kong.

The oneworld alliance member recently went to 11 flights a week on the Sydney-Hong Kong route and Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce indicated when the announcement was made in September he was looking to add more flights to Hong Kong if additional takeoff and landing slots could be found at the busy Chek Lap Kok Airport.

“Unfortunately until the third runway is built in Hong Kong it means there is limited growth opportunities for Australian carriers compared to Hong Kong-based carriers and that needs to be recognised in any bilateral discussions,” Joyce told reporters on September 9.

“We’ve got plenty of room to grow in the current bilateral, the trouble is we can’t get the slots to grow.”

Evans said there was good demand on Asian routes, given more Australian businesses were expanding their operations in the Asia-Pacific, while a lower Australian dollar had made it more affordable for tourists to head Down Under.

“It’s about being agile to adjust to changes in the market where it’s needed – and we’re able to do that by maximising the utilisation of our large, varied fleet,” Evans said.

“Because this growth is coming from increased fleet utilisation, it is a very cost efficient way to meet that rising demand.”

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Comments (12)

  • paule

    says:

    Now lets get back to using a real international grade aircraft. How long before the A330 gets back on the route? This may also be an opportunity for the new 787-9’s to prove their economic credentials when they arrive.

  • Rhino

    says:

    I don’t see a problem with B737 service to Singapore. If its good enough for transcontinental and Trans-Tasman flights, its good enough for Perth-Singapore.

  • Greg

    says:

    Go Singapore Airlines anyday!
    Far better freq. – bigger aircraft , comfort , and service!

  • Martin

    says:

    Great to see at last, but agree larger a/c much more comfortable, but disturbing to also hear QF offer the domestic style ‘food in a box’ catering.

    May as well take a KFC on board!

    International is a different market altogether to take on the likes of SQ. I’d still probably book QF as I have done for the past 23 years as a strong supporter of the airline.

  • John Harrison

    says:

    Its a bit of a two sided sword, the return on the PER-SIN route. On one hand going daily, on the other hand it still a B737-800. Which is not a good aircraft for anything over two hours for my choice. In the past I’ve flown
    PER-BNE etc on the 737’s but would never book that way now. Always making sure its AB330. Just a personal thing, but maybe the average traveler (not a regular one) wouldn’t realise different between a B737 and an
    AB330. (till the get onboard !!) Just a thought..

  • Martin

    says:

    John,

    you got that one on the nail – I fly PER-BNE on a regular basis and always check it’s not a 737 service! The a/c may have longer legs in terms of range, but NOT for pax with longer legs!

  • Alan Griffiths

    says:

    Once again, another no-brainer for QF management. If you want to attract customers, you need to provide service – both with aircraft type, and the right staff. So far, the score would be 0-0. A 737 as an international aircraft – ha, ha, ha! The attitude of a lot of QF staff – again – ha, ha, ha.!

    Let’s all have another look at what we are doing here folks. Yes, we’ve just got back from London/Paris – ON ETIHAD of course. QF didn’t even get a shoe in in our calculations. The Emirates link might have counted, but not enough to swing the pendulum – at all. Likewise Per – Eastern States – the idea of flying in a 737 makes me consider Virgin, something I never would have contemplated in the past.

  • David King

    says:

    Great Perth back as a QF international port. But sad as a regular flyer from Broome/Perth they have taken the 737/800 from lunch time flight and replaced with Fokker 100. How do they expect to attract tourist with garbage aircraft. Now look at Virgin but not much better. Loyal QF patron 25+ years. Now look around.

  • Jack

    says:

    Allan outside of Austraoia the 737 as an international aircraft is very common.

    Plenty operate them and A320’s around Asia (Malaysian, Thai, SilkAir) and go to Europe and America and they are even more common on flights up to the limit of the aircraft.

    With Perth To Singapore Qantas as a point to point carrier cannot sustain the capacity of an A330 so it is 737 or nothing. SQ on the other hand has the transit market sewn up. No wonder qantas wanted to setup their own Asin hub airline based in Singapore.

  • Baxter

    says:

    It’s good to see Qantas increasing services on the Perth to Singapore route, as yes I agree for a point to point service the 737 will do, they just need to price it lower then the Singapore Airlines services, as yes they are better. But for Qantas the 737 makes sense, would be good if they could commit to more services internationally using the 737 from Perth, plenty of opportunities, such as Bali, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, or get creative and try a new market Kota Kinibalu, Lombok, Dili, Yogjakarta, Langkawi, Brunei, Maldives

  • Craig from Perth

    says:

    While I understand everyone’s need to fly better for cheaper and that is why some of your have commented you’d rather fly with SQ. I don’t fly with them on principle though. The Singapore Government subsidises SQ of course so it is hardly a level playing field. Same with VA. Subsidised by SQ and Air NZ. I’d rather fly with QF and know the money is staying here.

  • craig

    says:

    A B737 is not a PER-SIN service. Sitting on it flying from ADL to PER (3.5 hrs) is too long, but ok the other way when its an hour shorter. Qantas have no capability internationally out of Perth, and could have springboard from SIN to Asia and europe, but put all their eggs in one basket through Dubai which is just clinical duty free. They should have retained some through SIN capability.
    Its taken them 20 years to work out that PER/AKL is viable, and only did it out of the boom, so missed out on all those Kiwi truck drivers and FIFO’s (could have sold holidays to West Aussies as well). Surprise!
    SAA worked out QF had no concept of Perth to Africa and caught them with their pants down. Surprise!
    They think flying east coasters through a PER/LHR nonstop is the cure to their Perth international problem.
    I just did PER to Haneda and had multiple options through SIA or CX, and will do PER-BKK next probably with SIA, all of which will be on VA code share. And guess what there is a new Virgin terminal, who has my interest now!

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