SINGAPORE, 23 July 2024: Scoot, Singapore Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary, has confirmed it will launch a new route from its home base at Singapore Chang to Subang in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, effective 1 September 2024.
The low-cost airline will use an A320 to serve the route daily, marking a milestone by establishing an international service between Singapore Changi and Subang.
Six domestic routes* operate from Subang to destinations in Malaysia, and Firefly serves just one international route from Subang to Seletar Singapore (XSP). Malaysia Airlines’ subsidiary musters six flights daily on the XSP-SZB route using an ATR72, with the first flight departing XSP at 0635 and the last at 1830. Flight time is one hour and 25 minutes.
Last week, TransNusa, an Indonesian low-cost airline, confirmed it plans to start daily flights between Jakarta and Subang in Malaysia on 1 August. Scoot’s announcement followed just days later, on 18 July, confirming it was introducing its daily flights on the Changi-Subang route, effective 1 September.
With the addition of Subang, Scoot’s route network will increase to 70 destinations, including Ipoh, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur International Airport), Kuantan, Kuching, Langkawi, Miri, Penang and Sibu in Malaysia. By September 2024, Scoot will operate 110 weekly flights to Malaysia.
Booking for flights to and from Subang opened 18 July via Scoot’s website and mobile app and gradually through other channels. For the short one-hour flight between Singapore and Subang, all-in economy class fares start at SGD83 and MYR108, inclusive of taxes.
Subang Airport (SZB) is 21.5 km from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The commute time is around 32 minutes by car. In contrast, Kuala Lumpur International Airport is 55.6 km from Kuala Lumpur, and it has a commute time of 32 minutes.
Boost for business travel
Commenting on the news, business travel specialists FCM Travel Asia noted that business travellers who frequently fly between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur now have an alternative to travel between these two cities.
“We have also seen a 17% uplift in business travellers flying from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, a popular business route within Asia, said FCM Travel’s General Manager Southeast Asia Kenji Soh.
“Subang Airport is easily accessible with shorter waiting times, allowing business travellers to reach their destinations quickly, which makes it an alternative worth considering. With investments in Subang Airport, roads, and infrastructure expansion, business travellers will most certainly welcome the option of travelling in narrow-body jets from Changi Airport.”
Data from FCM Travel shows a 38% increase in customers travelling from Singapore to Malaysia from January to June 2024 compared to last year. The economic partnership between Singapore and Malaysia has thrived with significant bilateral investment flows between both countries with plans to foster new areas of cooperation in trade and investments, renewable energy and connectivity.
* Alor Setar, Johor Bharu, Kota Bharu, Langkawi, Penang and Trengganu.
