Padang to Singapore flights planned to reopen

Padang (ANTARA) - The flight routes Padang to Singapore are planned to be reopened by airlines from Singapore in February 2020.

"We plan will open the route of Padang-Singapore, if it is opened then we will invite the media colleagues," said Executive General Manager of Angkasa Pura II BIM, Yos Sugiono in Padang on Thursday.

Then the airline that will serve the route is Scoot, the low-cost airline of the Singapore Airlines Group.

Previously two airlines had opened the same route, but did not last long. The international route was first opened on 1 December 2012 by the airline Mandala.

The price set by the airline for Padang-Singapore is only Rp329 thousand. But only lasted for five months. Mandala closed the route in mid-April 2013.

The reason for the closure was due to the low occupancy rate of the passengers. Although they have attempted to carry out promotions, they have not succeeded in boosting the number of passengers.

AirAsia became the second airline to try to open the Padang-Singapore route on 9 February 2018.

The flight schedule of the route is quite "friendly", from Padang at 09.40 am and from Singapore at 08.55 am.

But in only three months, the airline closed the route due to low occupancy rates. Even airlines are said to have suffered losses of up to Rp 5 billion in three months.

If Scoot reopens the route, it will be the third airline to do it. The experience of the two previous airlines could certainly be a lesson so that the route could provide benefits.

Deputy Governor of W Sumatra, Nasrul Abit said that during the closure of the Padang-Singapore route by AirAsia, the W Sumatra Provincial Government had not had the chance to do any promotion in Singapore to attract tourists to W Sumatra.

He believes, if the promotion is done well and measured, passenger occupancy rates can improve.

Transleted by: Mutiara Ramadhani

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