Business

Tuesday June 2, 2009

SilkAir to focus on main routes

By DAVID TAN


GEORGE TOWN: Singapore’s low-cost carrier SilkAir’s business strategy is to focus on growing the capacity for the five destinations that it currently flies to in Malaysia.

Chief executive Chin Yau Seng said although the airline had other destinations in mind, it would for now increase the capacity to the five destinations, which had enormous potential to grow.

SilkAir flies to Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Penang.

Chin Yau Seng ... we would want to grow the capacity to these five destinations

“A good example is the flight to Kuala Lumpur. When we started this route last October, there were only 10 flights a week.

“Now there are 30 flights weekly to KL. Rather than spreading our resources thin, we would want to grow the capacity to these five destinations in Malaysia,” he said after Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan End attended the inauguration of SilkAir services to Penang.

Chin said SilkAir, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), was now working with state body Penang Global Tourism Sdn Bhd to promote Penang.

“This includes looking into competitive fares and providing special packages that include accommodation,” he said.

Chin added that some 40% of SilkAir’s customers came from SIA’s long-haul flights.

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