Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its subsidiary, Scoot, have unveiled plans for a strategic restructuring of their services in India to adapt to changing demand patterns. The move aims to optimise capacity and network coverage in the country, offering passengers improved connectivity and increased flight options. The restructuring, subject to regulatory approvals, will affect Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad services.
In a press release, the SIA Group detailed the planned changes for each city:
Starting from 5 November 2023, Scoot will resume daily services between Singapore and Chennai. Simultaneously, SIA will increase its frequency between the two cities to twice daily, commencing from 29 October 2023. This will elevate the total number of weekly flights operated by the SIA Group between Singapore and Chennai from 17 to 21. Passengers can look forward to SIA operating its Airbus A350-900, Boeing 737-8, and Boeing 787-10 aircraft, while Scoot will utilise its Airbus A320 aircraft for the route. The reintroduction of Scoot’s services after a three-year hiatus is expected to provide travellers with additional travel choices on this vital route.
Effective from 29 October 2023, SIA will take over Scoot’s daily services between Singapore and Hyderabad. The airline will progressively increase its weekly frequencies from seven to twelve. The new schedule includes five weekly morning services, operated by SIA’s Boeing 737-8 aircraft, presenting passengers with more travel options from Hyderabad to Singapore and beyond. Additionally, the daily night services will be managed by SIA’s Airbus A350s. This change means that Hyderabad will be exclusively served by SIA’s full-service product, enhancing the overall travel experience for passengers on this route.
Bengaluru:
Starting 29 October 2023, SIA will operate twice daily flights between Singapore and Bengaluru. On all days except Thursdays and Sundays, the airline will deploy its Airbus A350s, while the morning flight on these two days will be operated by the Boeing 737-8. As part of this restructuring, SIA will discontinue its thrice-weekly SQ512 and SQ513 Airbus A350 services. The move will result in 14 weekly flights instead of the current 16, a change aimed at enhancing customer connectivity from Bengaluru to key destinations within the SIA network.
The Singapore Airlines Group’s decision to restructure its operations in India will provide passengers with more travel options, increased flight frequencies, and a wider selection of aircraft for various routes. Customers who have already made bookings for travel starting 29 October 2023 will be re-accommodated on either SIA or Scoot flights as needed. The customer service teams of both airlines will be actively reaching out to affected passengers to assist them with re-accommodation or refunds, where applicable.
Overall, SIA will continue to operate an expansive network in India, with 96 weekly flights to and from eight cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Scoot will complement this with 44 weekly flights to and from six Indian cities: Amritsar, Chennai, Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirapalli, and Visakhapatnam. The restructuring aims to ensure that both airlines can better cater to the evolving travel demands of the Indian market while providing passengers with an exceptional flying experience.
Mr. Sy Yen Chen, General Manager India, Singapore Airlines, said: “The SIA Group is committed to India, and is able to offer customers our industry-leading products and services to even more cities across this key market. This restructuring of our services to Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad reflects the strength of the SIA Group’s portfolio of airlines. This gives us the flexibility to adjust our services when necessary so as to offer more options to our customers, and connect them to our wider Group network.”
Mr. Brian Torrey, General Manager India, Scoot, added, “The reintroduction of Scoot’s operations in Chennai aligns with our Group’s network strategy to optimise resources and to better match capacity with demand. India has always been an important market for us. By including Chennai in our route network, we can now connect and serve individuals and families to the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. We are thrilled to relaunch our Chennai flights and look forward to welcoming our value customers on board our expanded network in the near future.”
