Singapore Airlines to announce Singpaore-Canberra-Wellington Service
 

Evening all,

4x a week using A330-300's routing Singapore-Canberra-Wellington

http://www.afr.com/brand/rear-window...0160111-gm3dju

How will that work with customs?

In what respect? Canberra is a designated international airport and has the facilities re customs, bio security already in place. The terminal is currently being modified/built so that two gates can act as an international or domestic facility, much like Adelaide.

This may be a silly question, but will SQ be able to sell the Canberra - Wellington flight by itself?

It was built that way. Down the VA end of the building there's a glass partition which can be closed off (just like at ADL) to separate the domestic and international areas, and pax for international access that area via escalators. As Mark says, there's already provision for the border agencies down there.

It's hard to say with any certainty because the version of the AUS / SIN treaty which is available on the Government's treaty website is so old it doesn't even show Singaporean carriers as having rights for BNE, ADL or CNS, which we know they do. However in that version they DO have beyond rights (i.e. fifth freedom) to AKL. So it's probably fair to assume Singaporean carriers now hold beyond rights to WLG as well, as it's hard to believe SQ would take on a route such as this (nor NZ & VA join them in it, which I'd imagine they will) without it.

The treaty does not reflect the 2003 MOU which I believe took into account the open skies NZ AUS agreement and opened up fifth freedom to all ports within NZ and Australia for Singapore airlines.

Interesting move going to Wellington, from one marginal airport to another depending on the weather conditions.

Probably worth mentioning that Canberra has been here before with the short lived Air Pacific International flights, Singapore and Wellington I suspect will be more popular.

Cheers Mark, I guessed there was an MoU along those lines but couldn't find anything in a brief look.

The FJ service sprang to mind for me when I read this news last night but at least SIN has the connectivity to Asia & Europe without having to go through SYD, MEL, BNE etc. Good luck to them!

I think you will find that Singapore Airlines have done years of research, and they will be looking at a lot of Government DOD for the Canberra to Wellington Leg, also don't forget the people with in 2 hours drive of Canberra Airport, like Albury, Wagga at the South Coast, be able to get to ASIA and Europe without having to go thru Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne. I also her the Canberra Government has given them a great deal, to fly there.

This is a very big selling point by the ACT during negotiations with international frims. The catchment population is slightly under one million of which only about 350,000 live within the ACT borders.

[QUOTE=Nils Kenny;98218 also her the Canberra Government has given them a great deal, to fly there.[/QUOTE]

No doubt. In the nearly 6 years I have lived in the ACT, local members have made many trips to Singapore and I suspect probably a few they haven't announced also.

Will be interesting to see if Wagga and Albury will see another airline fly to Canberra if it can get one or more international flights. Interesting times ahead. :)

I am sure they have done their research, but I do wonder! For instance total pax numbers between Wellington and Sydney averages 380 a day one way, while Wellington Melbourne is 315, and they are adding 285 seats to the same destination???

Not exactly... they're adding 285 seats to more than two destinations. CBR, SIN and a decent chunk of the SQ network.

As an aside, are the A330s getting Premium Economy???

I was looking at the tag flight more than the Singapore flight, for the simple reason I don't think it makes much sense given the trains Tasman traffic numbers. Onward traffic will be minimal as MH found, albeit to AKL.

Although you would have to say, SQ have always had a lot more onward options than MH ever had, not withstanding current shenanigans such as the baggage blues to Europe... MH certainly may have some issues right now. I regard SQ as a serious premium product, and I think many average punters out there do as well.

I was told "not yet" but I didn't speak to anybody who would know for sure. My fingers are crossed, but I'm not hopeful. Their A330 business product from Adelaide to Singapore isn't anything special and to be honest it's not worth $400 per hour.

Announcement set to happen at 11am tomorrow with services commencing in August!

Any idea of the schedule yet?

Is the press conference at Canberra Airport?

Press conference/announcement will be happening in front of gate 9 at Canberra Airport

Thank you.

Any SIA aircraft flying in for the occasion?

Doesn't look like it

Just heard it seems the route is starting sept 20 4x week and it's a 777 not a330.

Afternoon all,

4 flights a week starting 20/9/16 using B777-200ER's. Flights arrive in CBR and WLG Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

SQ291 Dep SIN 2300 Arr CBR 0835+1 Dep CBR 0950 Arr WLG 1505
SQ292 Dep WLG 2015 Arr CBR 2205 Dep CBR 2330 Arr SIN 0550+1

Customer friendly timings. Easy when you're using a low-demand old 777 I guess.

Perfect time for FOG too ;) doesn't clear till after 10am and sets in early at night.

For those doing the entire Singapore - Wellington trip, the transit stop in Canberra will be a tad boring as they will be kept quarantined from the area where the coffee shop/bar/newsagent is. Might even keep them on board I guess

60 days to go. The international terminal to be of 'business' standard.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-...19-gq8xtd.html

Air NZ should start AKL - CBR flights with a good connection point for their North American routes same terminal. It will come eventually suprised SQ got in first though!

Tomorrow (Wednesday 21st Sept) sees the commencement of Singapore Airlines' service SIN-CBR-WLG vv.

I'm told that, weather and operational requirements permitting, SQ291 SIN-CBR will conduct a flyover of the CBD and Lake Burley Griffin area prior to its scheduled arrival at 0835. Sadly, BOM is forecasting cloudy with an 80% chance of 8-20mm of rain for tomorrow ("morning and afternoon").

Still too early for a rego at this stage but can all but rule out 9V-SQN and -SRO.

I thought it was an 8:50 arrival ?

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...1537c79aba.jpg

Definitely 0835 based on SQ online flight status and also the email I saw this morning.

Eveing all,

9V-SRP has the honours of operating the inaugural flight.

9V-SRP last visited Sydney on 08/06/2013.

Excuse the rubbish photos to go with the rubbish weather but here is a couple images of this mornings arrival in the Canberra.

Not hanging around for the departure to Wellington, weather is not improving anytime soon.

There were a few people out for the arrival. Hopefully someone else will have much better photos.

Cheers

M

good view of it at the gate on the Canberra airport webcam

It was very wet !

SQ291 arrived a little early into Canberra. I presume, looking at the weather, that they were not able to perform the flyover. The webcam shows low cloud and light rain and they are just closing up the hold now in readiness for departure to Wellington.

Airborne and passing 20,000. Track on FlightAware had it planned via Culin and Tesat which would have it overflying Sydney. But he has now been given a more direct track and is heading east at present.

Crossing over Jervis Bay at present and looks to be tracking direct to Pluga.

Arrival shown on ABCNews

The city flyover was cancelled due to a passenger requiring medical assistance.

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