Jetstar First Foreign Carrier To Fly From Singapore To Shantou

The budget airline Jetstar has become the first foreign carrier to fly from Singapore to Shantou in Guangdong province.

Jetstar will operate the new route as a three times weekly A320 return service between Shantou Waisha Airport and Singapore Changi Airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. An additional flight is scheduled for Monday February 15, 2010 to handle the Chinese New Year peak load.

Jetstar Asia and Valuair chief executive officer Chong Phit Lian commented that direct, low fare access between Singapore and Shantou will provide a valuable link for thousands and thousands of Teochew and Hakka families to visit their ancestral homes. She added that China would remain a major focus for future growth considerations by Jetstar and has immense potential for low fare offerings and broader Jetstar Group network connections.

Shantou, a city of five million residents, is one of five special economic zones in China, and its commercial activities include it being the communication hub of southeast China.