AIA
12/08/2014 08:30
GENERAL
REL: 0830 HRS Auckland International Airport Limited
GENERAL: AIA: AIA welcomes Singapore Airlines A380 announcement
Media Release l 11 August 2014
Auckland Airport welcomes Singapore Airlines A380 announcement
Auckland Airport has welcomed the announcement that Singapore Airlines is to
introduce an A380 aircraft on its daily service to Auckland during the peak
New Zealand summer period. The first Singapore Airlines A380 flight will
arrive in Auckland on 28 October 2014.
Charles Spillane, Auckland Airport's acting general manager of aeronautical
commercial, says, "We are delighted by the airline's decision to use an A380
on this route as it provides an additional 55,000 seats during the peak
summer period. We also estimate that it will contribute an additional $45
million in tourism spend to our economy."
"In the past 12 months, Singapore Airlines has experienced very high demand
on the Singapore to Auckland route. We welcome the introduction of the A380
as it ensures the demand for this service is not constrained by available
seat capacity."
"Singapore is a critical hub airport, providing New Zealand with access to
South East Asia and key emerging markets such as India and Indonesia. This
additional capacity will help to support the impressive growth we have
already seen from these markets."
"In particular, we have seen fantastic growth in holiday arrivals from both
Singapore and India. Holiday arrivals from Singapore increased by 23 per
cent in the past 12 months and holiday arrivals from India for the same
period increased by 15 per cent."
"In addition, the number of New Zealanders departing for short-term travel to
South East Asia increased by 19 per cent over the past year. This latest
increase in seat capacity from Singapore Airlines will certainly help to
further stimulate this outbound growth," concludes Mr Spillane.
Edwin Chiang, General Manager Singapore Airlines New Zealand, says, "We are
pleased to offer an A380 service to Auckland. Customers can look forward to a
whole new level of comfort across all cabin classes and enjoy the
connectivity this daily direct service to Singapore provides to our global
network. This is a significant milestone in our history of serving the New
Zealand market and we look forward to showcasing the distinct service
features we offer on the A380."
Tourism New Zealand's Director of Trade, PR and Major Events, Justin Watson,
also welcomes the announcement.
"Singapore itself is an important and growing visitor market for New Zealand,
but is also vital hub for Asia. This announcement on the back of the approved
alliance with Air New Zealand is a real boost for our new investments in
emerging markets, with a lot more capacity and great connections from
multiple cities right across Asia," says Mr Watson.
Ends
For further information please contact:
Simon Lambourne
+64 9 255 9089
+64 27 477 6120
[email protected]
End CA:00253725 For:AIA Type:GENERAL Time:2014-08-12 08:30:17
