VTL Between Singapore and KLIA

[frontier500]

"The VTL will start with six designated services between Changi Airport and KLIA a day, said Transport Minister S Iswaran at a multi-ministry task force press conference."

Do you guys think the demand will be high and whether A380 will be used?

[sbs2716g]

They will just add more flights with different timing (as per per-covid) instead to spread out the loads.

Don’t think they want 450 paxes to arrive together to do the arrival test.

[flyguy]

"The VTL will start with six designated services between Changi Airport and KLIA a day, said Transport Minister S Iswaran at a multi-ministry task force press conference."

Do you guys think the demand will be high and whether A380 will be used?

Demand will be fairly high and will be overwhelmed near CNY towards end Jan. But doubt the A380s will be used for this KL sector once after the A380 familiarisation flights are over in the next couple of weeks.

[yuuka_miya]

By CNY hopefully they'll be able to open the land border and ease demand on the flights.

[flyguy]

By CNY hopefully they'll be able to open the land border and ease demand on the flights.

Yes it looks very likely the land crossings at causeway and Tuas will be opened before CNY. But traditionary flights will still be heavy booked and pricey and extra flights launched for CNY.

[scooby5]

Demand will be fairly high and will be overwhelmed near CNY towards end Jan. But doubt the A380s will be used for this KL sector once after the A380 familiarisation flights are over in the next couple of weeks.

I could believe an A380 could still be used, as a filler schedule between the longer haul? The demand could be there over the coming few months until the Causeway is open.

Will be impossible to find a car rental out KL.

[flyguy]

It would still be hard to fill up the A380 even though it wont be selling its PE and Suite class. Besides the fare to KL and back range from $260 to $450 in December alone and one need to add about $300 plus for the 2 PCR tests and that will add up to about $$560 for each passenger and above for a SQ flight. The 2 PCR tests looks like it cost more than the flight during normal weekday flights and definitely more than budget flight costs if budget airlines are given VTL flights.

[Squeezer]

Taking the cost of 10 days quarantines at a hotel, it is still cheaper to fly via VTL + PCR tests. Also no time-wastage so I believe it is still a more viable option and demand will be robust.

[flyguy]

The government have mentioned that the land crossings via the 2 crossings will start in a few weeks. Believed by mid Jan or even earlier, the causeway and Tuas will be opened for vehicles. Hence demand for air travel will still be fairly strong with 6 VTL flights but once the land crossings are opened, believed that the number of VTL flights will soon be doubled or more.

[yflyer]

I have a colleague, based in Singapore, who is from Johor Bahru. He hasn't been back in ages, and is planning a VTL flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, then travelling by road to JB to visit folks there. They really need to open the land border again soon.

[flyguy]

The Singapore government just announced that they are working on the land crossings and will likely be opened on the same day as VTL flights on 29th Nov. This will be good news as it will also ease the heavy and currently fully booked VTL flights.