SilkAir to fly to Darwin from 26 March

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, will begin direct air services between Singapore and Darwin, Australia on 26 March 2012, subject to regulatory approvals.

The capital city of the Northern Territory will be the airline’s first destination in Australia since it began operations in 1984, when it was known as Tradewinds.

Flights will be operated four times a week, departing on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with next-day return flights.

The new services will be operated with Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, featuring both Business and Economy class cabins. Customers will be provided with a full service experience, including inflight meals, baggage allowance of 30kg and 20kg for Business and Economy class respectively, as well as through check-in if they are connecting to or from another SilkAir or Singapore Airlines point via Singapore.

With the launch of Darwin, the number of destinations in SilkAir’s route network will increase to 39 in 12 countries.

SilkAir’s Chief Executive, Mr. Marvin Tan, says the new route will boost the airline’s presence in the Australian market, which is currently being served by its parent company via five points, namely Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

“We are immensely excited to introduce our first destination in the South-West Pacific. Darwin is well known for its mining and tourism industries and we believe our new service will have much to offer to both the business and leisure traveler.”

“This is a very significant move for us and will complement our parent company’s ongoing efforts to better serve the Australian market, which has been given a boost by its recently approved alliance with Virgin Australia,” said Mr. Tan.

A modern metropolis, Darwin boasts rich and beautiful natural attractions such as the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, the world famous Katherine Gorge located in the Nitmiluk National Park, the culturally rich Tiwi Islands and the Lietchfield National Park, which is filled with amazing waterfalls, plunge pools, wildlife and birdlife.

Darwin is also the northern gateway to the famous Australian Outback, which includes attractions such as Alice Springs and Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock.

Customers are advised to note that the new flights may not be immediately available in computer reservations systems due to the lead-time required in making system updates.