Confident carrier lifts NZ capacity

By Graeme Kennedy

Friday 30th July 2004

Singapore Airlines is boosting capacity into New Zealand following a strong recovery in Asian inbound tourism.

The carrier has increased its frequency to Christchurch to five direct flights a week and plans to go daily in November while Auckland has 12 services a week to meet rapidly growing demand.

New Zealand general manager Sak-Hin Chin said Asian tourism had rebounded from the crippling Sars outbreak a year ago and the industry downtown which followed the September 11 plane crashes. Japanese visitor numbers were also strengthening with growth of 93% in the past 12 months after a four to five year economic slump.

Visitor numbers from China had grown 370% in the past year and from South Korea up 52%.

"Our expansion reflects our confidence in New Zealand and its growing attractiveness as a tourism market," Chin said. "Asians like New Zealand's clean green environment it is so different from Asian countries and has a reputation as a safe destination.

"The South Island in particular is attracting a lot of tourists who see the Alps, West Coast and Queenstown as a totally new destination. Some do just the South Island and others come into Christchurch and leave through Auckland."

Chin said SIA's outbound services offered one-stop flights to 12 European cities while Singapore was a familiar stop-over destination for New Zealanders who provided significant through traffic for the carrier.

He said the New Zealand market had become very competitive, with six Asian carriers now flying into Auckland.

"We focus on our products and services, which have established a good reputation over the years and we must continue to do that to keep our place in the market," Chin said. "It is not enough just to carry a lot of passengers."

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