Latest news with #ChangiAirport
CNA
15 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
Deep Dive Podcast: Jetstar Asia closure - Are the days of cheap fares over?
Jetstar Asia will cease operations on Jul 31, a move unsurprising to experts because the low-cost carrier was struggling to turn a profit in a tough aviation market. Otelli Edwards speaks to Shukor Yusof from aviation consultancy Endau Analytics and Dr Nitin Pangarkar from NUS Business School to find out what the future holds. Here is an excerpt from the conversation: Otelli Edwards, host: I believe Changi Airport is aiming to expand its network to over 200 cities by the mid-2030s. But airlines will need to pay about 40 per cent more to land and park at Changi over time. To some extent, that's going to affect Changi's competitiveness as an aviation hub, don't you think? Dr Nitin Pangarkar, NUS Business School: It will, but it's a question of who they are competing against, right? They cannot compete on cost versus, say, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. Probably, they are targeting the Dohas and the Dubais and so on. Basically, their basis of comparison is that. When I arrived in Singapore 30 years ago, I must say that based on my impressions as a traveller, Changi seemed a lot more functional than luxurious. Otelli: Without the waterfalls and all the wonderful features. Dr Nitin: Yeah, without the waterfalls, without Jewel. There were only Terminals 1 and 2. (Terminal 2) was the new terminal at that time. I think Changi has taken a bit of a shift towards luxury. And when you do that, your costs go up. Singapore has also become more affluent. So everything is more expensive. Singapore is going to be a high-cost place compared to say, KL or Bangkok or some similar regional hub. Otelli: It's a bit worrisome for a large group of people who are used to S$100 and under sort of flight tickets, right? I guess to a certain extent, that is not practical, because then how does Jetstar for instance, make money? Does that also mean those days are over, that we shouldn't be expecting to pay such low prices? Shukor Yusof, Endau Analytics: They are over, a long time ago, post-COVID. I can confirm it's over. It's only low cost in name, but in reality, it's pretty much high fares. You have ancillary fees, you have a lot of other payments that you are going to be making. Otelli: So you think it has narrowed the gap (between) what you're paying for these so called low-cost carriers versus the legacy airlines? Shukor: Very much. So what we're seeing now is the legacy airlines, the flag carriers, are in fact becoming low-cost or budget airlines, if you look at Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, or Philippine Airlines. So those days when you could fly for a plate of chicken rice for example. For S$10 at the hawker centre, you could fly to Bangkok, you could fly to Jakarta. I've done that before ... at the forefront of when all these budget airlines were coming into the business. But now it's very different. It's more competitive. Previously, AirAsia had the first-mover advantage. They were the only ones running around and then subsequently, all the neighbours next to Singapore got very excited and they came up with their own low-cost carriers.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
SIA, Scoot flights from Changi Airport to Bali among dozens cancelled after Indonesia volcano eruption
Several flights to Bali were cancelled on June 18 after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted. ST PHOTO: NADINE CHUA Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki spews smoke and volcanic ash as seen from Kawalelo village in East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia on June 17. PHOTO: REUTERS Villagers watch the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki as seen from Talibura village in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, on June 17. PHOTO: AFP Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted on June 17, with authorities raising its alert status to the highest level. PHOTO: REUTERS SIA, Scoot flights from Changi Airport to Bali among dozens cancelled after Indonesia volcano eruption - At least two dozen flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, including Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot flights from Changi Airport, were cancelled on June 18 after a volcano in the archipelago's east erupted, shooting an ash tower 10km into the sky. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703m twin-peaked volcano on the eastern tourist island of Flores, erupted on June 17, with the authorities raising its alert status to the highest level. In response to queries from The Straits Times, SIA said that four of its flights – two heading to Singapore and two arriving in Denpasar – were affected on June 18, leading to their cancellation. The airline said it will be contacting all affected customers to inform them about the flight cancellations. SIA said: 'As the situation remains fluid, other SIA flights between Singapore and Indonesia may be affected. Customers may visit our flight status page for the latest information on their flights.' SIA said it apologises to all affected customers for the inconvenience caused. Budget airline Scoot told ST that five of its flights were cancelled on the morning of June 18. Three of them were scheduled to depart from Singapore, while two were set to arrive at Changi Airport from neighbouring island Lombok and Denpasar. Another flight, TR289, which was originally scheduled to depart from Denpasar for Singapore at 2pm on June 18, was also cancelled. Scoot said it has contacted affected customers to inform them of the changes to their flights. 'Scoot apologises for the inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. We will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust our flight schedule as necessary,' the airline said. ST spoke to some passengers who arrived at Changi Airport from Bali on June 18. Some of them were not aware of the volcano eruption while others said their flights were not affected or delayed. A few passengers said that they had left Bali before they could feel the effects of the smoke, while some others were not concerned because the eruption happened a distance away from Bali. Flights to Jakarta on June 19 seem to be unaffected, as at the morning of June 18. The other flights cancelled included Jetstar Asia and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, with Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and China's Juneyao Airlines also cancelling flights 'due to volcano', Bali's international airport website said on June 18. Checks by ST on the Changi Airport website showed that several flights flying to either Bali or Jakarta were cancelled by Singapore Airlines, Scoot and Jetstar on the morning of June 18. Garuda, Indonesia's AirAsia, BatikAir and Citilink airlines seem to have been unaffected and are scheduled to depart for Jakarta, while low-cost carrier Transnusa pushed back its 11.45am flight to Jakarta to 1.30pm. The flights cancelled include those operated by Singapore Airlines, Scoot and Jetstar Asia. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM CHANGI AIRPORT WEBSITE Several domestic AirAsia flights leaving for Labuan Bajo on Flores were also cancelled. 'Ngurah Rai is still operating normally but it depends on the flight schedule, but some of the flights are cancelled due to a volcano. It depends on the route and also the airline,' a Bali airport customer service agent who declined to give their name told AFP. Volcanic ash rained down on several villages around Lewotobi Laki-Laki and forced the evacuation of at least one village late on June 17, the country's disaster mitigation agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Volcanic ash rained down on several villages around Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki and forced the evacuation of at least one village late on June 17. PHOTO: EPA-EFE In November 2024, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times, killing nine people, cancelling scores of international flights to Bali and forcing thousands to evacuate, AFP reported. Laki-Laki, which means 'man' in Indonesian, is twinned with a calmer volcano named after the Indonesian word for 'woman'. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. SIA said those affected by the flight cancellations will be re-accommodated on alternative flights or can seek a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket. It added that passengers who booked directly with the airline can use the request form for a refund. For bookings made through travel agents or partner airlines, SIA advised customers to contact their travel agent or purchasing airline directly for assistance. SIA added that customers are also strongly advised to update their contact details via the 'Manage Booking' section on their website or subscribe to their mobile notification service. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
SIA flights from Changi Airport to Bali among dozens cancelled after Indonesia volcano eruption
Several flights to Bali were cancelled on June 18 after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted on June 17. PHOTOS: EPA-EFE, NADINE CHUA SIA flights from Changi Airport to Bali among dozens cancelled after Indonesia volcano eruption JAKARTA - At least two dozen flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, including Singapore Airlines flights from Changi Airport, have been cancelled after a volcano in the archipelago's east erupted, shooting an ash tower 10km into the sky. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703m twin-peaked volcano on the eastern tourist island of Flores, erupted on June 17, with authorities raising its alert status to the highest level. The flights cancelled included Jetstar Asia and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, with Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's TigerAir and Singapore Airlines and China's Juneyao Airlines also cancelling flights 'due to volcano', Bali's international airport website said on June 18. Several domestic AirAsia flights leaving for Labuan Bajo on Flores were also cancelled. 'Ngurah Rai is still operating normally but it depends on the flight schedule, but some of the flights are cancelled due to a volcano. It depends on the route and also the airline,' a Bali airport customer service agent who declined to give their name told AFP. The flights cancelled include those operated by Singapore Airlines, Scoot and Jetstar Asia. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM CHANGI AIRPORT WEBSITE Volcanic ash rained down on several villages around Lewotobi Laki-Laki and forced the evacuation of at least one village late on June 17 the country's disaster mitigation agency said. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties. In November 2024, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times, killing nine people, cancelling scores of international flights to the tourist island of Bali and forcing thousands to evacuate. Laki-Laki, which means 'man' in Indonesian, is twinned with a calmer volcano named after the Indonesian word for 'woman'. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Independent Singapore
3 days ago
- Independent Singapore
S$700 fine for tourist who stole Charles & Keith backpack less than an hour after arriving at Changi Airport
Source: Depositphotos/ teamtime (for illustration purposes only) SINGAPORE: A tourist who had been passing through Changi Airport has been slapped with a S$700 fine for stealing a backpack worth S$89.90 from the Charles & Keith outlet in the airport, less than an hour after arriving in Singapore. Thirty-year-old Garg Prasha, who had been travelling from Kolkata, India, was en route to Bali, Indonesia, when she had a layover in Singapore on Jun 2. She decided to shop in the transit terminal and visited the Charles and Keith outlet, where she took a liking to a black backpack that had been on display. Instead of paying for the item, Garg placed the bag into the luggage trolley she was using and exited the store. She was caught after an employee spotted the theft and the store alerted the police. The bag was recovered in its original condition. Sentencing her to a S$700 fine on Monday (Jun 16) after she pleaded guilty to one count of theft, Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan said, 'The only saving grace was that the bag was recovered, but she has been effectively caught red-handed here.' That same day, Garg's acquaintance, 29-year-old Kolkata native Goenka Simran, was sentenced to eight days' jail after she stole a yellow purse from the Furla outlet at Changi Airport in a similar fashion to Garg's theft. The bag Goenka stole was worth over S$300. She then stole a bottle of perfume from a cosmetics store at Terminal 2, worth over S$200. The judge said, 'She was supposed to be in Singapore for only 10 hours, but she decided to help herself to the goods worth more than S$500 in total during that time. She would have gotten away if not for the quick actions of the authorities and staff, and once she gets away, it would be impossible to recover the items.' The court heard that Garg and Goenka were not part of a syndicate, though they knew each other.
CNA
4 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow wants to make Singaporeans proud of their public transport system
SINGAPORE: Among Mr Jeffrey Siow's many goals for his newly started tenure as acting Transport Minister, one stands out: To make Singaporeans proud of their public transport system. This pride is evident in Singapore's aviation and maritime sectors, but with public transport, there is room to improve sentiments, said Mr Siow in a wide-ranging interview with media earlier in June, covering topics from long-term plans to recent issues. 'On the public transport side, we can do a lot more, and we will work,' he said. 'It does mean, of course, you must make sure that the public transport side, we run the system as well as we have run the air and sea systems.' The former senior civil servant, who was in the Ministry of Transport (MOT) from 2012 to 2017, said he was motivated by how his current portfolio is a 'very meaningful' one - where his work is felt by everyone. 'Whether you walk, take the train, take the bus, drive, or even when you travel, you go to the airport, or you get goods delivered from overseas because you shop online … transport matters,' said Mr Siow. He said that decisions in the transport realm can be especially palpable. For instance, when he was at MOT as a civil servant, he had a hand in the Thomson-East Coast Line project. 'Now I'm taking the train that we said we would design in that way. In that manner, it became a tangible reality,' said Mr Siow. The very visible transformation of ideas into reality will also be captured in mega projects such as Changi Airport's Terminal 5 and the Tuas Port - both announced when he was in the transport ministry. 'So it's real, it's tangible, it is easy to do work when you feel that whatever you are doing matters,' he said. But he also acknowledged that with all that, comes increased scrutiny. 'Everybody has an opinion on whether or not you're doing things right, and I am not short on conversations with people about issues, and I enjoy it very much,' he said. These conversations even include discussions with his mother on transport-related topics. TAKING ON A "HOT POTATO" MINISTRY Since taking on the acting minister role on May 23, several hot-button transport issues have already emerged. On May 29, a 49-year-old private-hire driver died from a stroke, igniting discussion on whether the long hours put in by drivers could be better managed or regulated. On Jun 3, SMRT was slapped with a S$3 million (US$2.33 million) fine over a major East-West Line disruption in September last year. On Jun 6, a container barge ran aground off Tanjong Beach in Sentosa. Then on Jun 11, Jetstar Asia, one of two locally-run low-cost carriers, announced it would cease operations on July 31. On how he keeps a cool head with such issues coming in thick and fast, Mr Siow said it was all to be expected. 'People are interested, and that's why they care about what's happening. 'It does mean we have to maybe work at a higher cadence, to respond, to explain, … to persuade, to inspire, and in some ways, to be ready,' he added. He said he sees this positively. 'I would rather be doing something that people care about, incidents notwithstanding, and doing things that help people, make sure that they are well taken care of, and improve their lives.' Mr Siow noted that by nature, some issues are 'zero-sum', such as how to decide on the best bus route. 'I can, of course, draw the bus route to cover everybody, but that means the bus (route) is very long,' he said. 'I know I won't be able to please everyone, it's not possible ... But I will try to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. That's my objective.' Mr Siow revealed that he takes public transport to his workplaces at the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Finance - where he is also a Senior Minister of State - 'whenever I can'. 'It's helpful to actually see things for yourself,' he said. 'Whenever I see something … LTA is kept a little bit busy.' TO-DO LIST Mr Siow also laid out some of his plans for the next five years. One is to ensure residents of Housing Board towns further away from the city have better connectivity. He said during an interview earlier in June that the time taken to travel by public transport from Tengah to the city area was two to three times longer than that of car rides, and that he aimed to cut this down to one to two times longer. 'You could apply that to Punggol, you could apply that to Jurong West, you could apply that to Pasir Ris … where I think the public transport journey time is not as competitive relative to taking a car,' he said on Jun 11. He added that ensuring better bus connectivity to train stations would be key here, while also boosting Singapore's car-lite vision. 'It's a virtuous cycle … demand for private transport would be balanced, it will become less (and) public transport will be more viable and attractive." CELEBRATING TRANSPORT In the same vein as making Singaporeans fall in love with the public transport system, Mr Siow also hopes that there can be more thorough appreciation for Singapore's transport history. 'Transport is, in fact, very much part of the Singapore Story,' he said. 'There is a reason why in many major cities - New York, London, Tokyo - they all have a transportation museum.' In Singapore, there is a 'mini transport museum' at the Land Transport Authority's headquarters at Hampshire Road. Called the SG Mobility Gallery, it is where schoolchildren go on excursions, but Mr Siow hopes more transport artefacts from Singapore's history can be displayed there. He said he had noticed general interest in such memorabilia, citing Knackstop, an initiative where public transport merchandise such as model trains and transport-themed keychains are sold at vending machines around Singapore. In looking back at the past, the aim is to instill pride in a system Mr Siow described as unique to Singapore. 'If I can bring that love and pride in our transportation system back ... I think some of the more difficult things we have to do, some of the supposed problems we have to address in the future - I think we'll be able to better manage."
