Scoot to take over Jeddah flights from SIA

[gumption]

Scoot will embark on its first flights to the Middle East next year, when it takes over the Singapore-Jeddah route from Singapore Airlines.

Effective 1 May 2016, the low-cost carrier will start flying to the Saudi Arabian city three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) using its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. And the airline said it plans to “progressively increase” the frequency of the route in future. SIA currently operates thrice weekly Airbus A330 flights to Jeddah.

“Scoot is thrilled to be adding our first Middle Eastern destination to our network,” said Scoot CEO, Campbell Wilson.

“We have long wanted to operate to Saudi Arabia. Jeddah, its second largest city, is both a commercial centre as well as the principal gateway for religious pilgrimages to nearby Mecca. With thrice-weekly non-stop services, Scoot looks forward to improving connectivity between Singapore and this important world city.”

The new Scoot service will operate as flight TZ592, departing Singapore’s Changi Airport at 1640 and arriving in Jeddah at 2030. The return service, TZ591, will then leave at 2200, arriving back in Singapore at 1240 the next day.

Passengers who have made advanced bookings on SIA’s Jeddah flights will be re-accommodated on Scoot’s new services, or can opt for a refund.

Source: http://www.traveldailymedia.com/2279...o-middle-east/

[Metropolitan Airlines]

So it appear, Scoot is taking over some unprofitable SQ sectors, first we had HGH and now we have JED.

Concerning the economic conditions there, perhaps Scoot will help SIA Group to relaunch some former SQ cities such as Cairo and Athens? If SIA Group can co-ordinate this with A3, I think ATH can be good business also helping to reboost the Asia-Europe low cost routes in a more sustainable way?

Or to make seasonal Sapparo year round as well?

[gumption]

Cld Jeddah be used to launch one stop flights to other parts of Middle East and North Africa?

[orionmiz]

Hmm... Unprofitable sector for JED? I don't recall any Super Deals and Sweet Deals promos for flight from SIN to JED though.

[726]

Cld Jeddah be used to launch one stop flights to other parts of Middle East and North Africa?

As far as i know, those who lands in Jeddah must be certified muslims, due to the status of holy city, meaning this market is not open to general public. Umrah and holy pilgrimage customers only. Since i am not a muslim, i cannot confirm this, but this is what i read online.

So it is unlikely that we see this as a connecting flight to other areas.

[orionmiz]

As far as i know, those who lands in Jeddah must be certified muslims, due to the status of holy city, meaning this market is not open to general public. Umrah and holy pilgrimage customers only. Since i am not a muslim, i cannot confirm this, but this is what i read online.

So it is unlikely that we see this as a connecting flight to other areas.

The holy city is Mecca and Medina, not Jeddah (though it is the gateway to Mecca).

Jeddah is more of a commercial city, so non-muslim can go there.

[flyguy]

if SQ cant find it viable to operate its own flights - wonder if Scoot can make it as its be harder for Scoot to fill more than 350 seats esp during off peak season

[259850]

if SQ cant find it viable to operate its own flights - wonder if Scoot can make it as its be harder for Scoot to fill more than 350 seats esp during off peak season

That's the whole point. If you lower the price enough, you can sell more seats. TZ has a cost structure that makes the route profitable enough even at lower prices.

[gumption]

That's the whole point. If you lower the price enough, you can sell more seats. TZ has a cost structure that makes the route profitable enough even at lower prices.

I agree. With the feed from Tiger, Scoot might be able to make the Jeddah work, even without connections beyond Jeddah

[Airbus SAS A340-500]

Pardon my ignorance for I've never been to Saudi Arabia before, but do female cabin crew who fly this route have to cover their heads with a headscarf?

The Scoot female crew dress exposes the leg below the knee. Would that have to be covered up as well?

[singha-puri]

Ignorence is bliss, non-muslims can even travel to Medina and Mecca but cannot enter the holy areas that are restricted to muslims.

AirAsiaX fly their short skirts to JED no issue, just put on abaya and scarf after landing, Saudi arabia isnt as extremeist as its made out to seem.

[Airbus SAS A340-500]

That's the whole point. If you lower the price enough, you can sell more seats. TZ has a cost structure that makes the route profitable enough even at lower prices.

Does SQ currently have 5th freedom rights on DXB-JED v.v.?

But come to think of it, regardless of whether SQ have or does not have the 5ths, TZ's entry with a non-stop 335-seater B787-8 represents a huge jump in SIN-JED end-to-end traffic! Presumably, there should be a decent load of DXB-bound/originating pax on SQ490/491... JED is presumably low-yielding, but is it even a high-volume route during non-Hajj periods? My assumption is this was the best way for SQ to stop bleeding money on the route, but JED will bleed anyway (albeit slightly less?) with TZ. I don't think TZ can market JED as a fun enough leisure destination like how they currently do for destinations in their current network.



The Singapore Airlines Group has so drastically cut its ME-NA presence.

Kuwait City, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Cairo are all gone. Mainline is reduced to a single daily service to Dubai. But I'm not even sure if any of the four can even sustain TZ service.


Your thoughts?

[sarggy]

this is good news to over 1M Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia. they can connect via Tiger from either Manila or Cebu.

i think JED-MNL route is still underserved. Saudia only flies 8x weekly and PR is just about to commence early next year with MNL-DXB-JED routing

[SINFJ]

The change from a FSC to LCC model means that current ticket holders may be reaccomodated with baggage and in-flight meal and entertainment included. Not sure if it will go that way

[Metropolitan Airlines]

I think Jeddah could be quite attractive to customers from Singapore's neighbours should Scoot takes over. Singapore is a more economically developed than its neighbours, and should most of the demand to Jeddah are from our neighbours, it does makes sense to move it to Scoot so to make the service more affordable for others and hence increase loading.

1 thing I will request SQ to do though, is to add SQ code on Addis Ababa to Jeddah as well as Istanbul to Jeddah, so that those who need FSC can still choose SQ and to earn the full miles on that.