Changi Airport welcomed inaugural Zhengzhou-Singapore flight

The inaugural flight arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 1 yesterday afternoon.

According to Changi Airport Group, it marked a significant milestone in the cooperation of Changi Airport Group and the Henan Civil Aviation Development and Construction Committee.

The inaugural flight from Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by CAG and HCADCC in November 2010 to develop air connectivity between Singapore and cities in Henan.

Xiamen Airlines will operate the daily Zhengzhou-Xiamen-Singapore flight on a 169-seater B738 aircraft in a two-class configuration. The details are as follows:

Xiamen Airlines already has two daily services to Singapore – from Tianjin (via Xiamen) and Hangzhou (via Fuzhou). The addition of Zhengzhou to Changi’s network brings to six the number of new city links to China established since January 2010, following Guilin, Shantou, Hefei, Qingdao and Nanning.

Passenger traffic between Singapore and China has shown promising signs of growth. In 2010, some 3.38 million passengers travelled between the two countries, an increase of 16% over 2009. In particular, traffic between Singapore and secondary cities in China grew 22% over the same period. With the addition of Xiamen Airlines’ flights to Zhengzhou, some 430 weekly scheduled flights will connect Changi Airport to 26 Chinese cities, reinforcing Singapore’s position as the most connected Southeast Asian city to China.

Changi Airport Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Lee Seow Hiang said, “We congratulate Xiamen Airlines on its inaugural flight from Zhengzhou to Singapore. This would not have been possible without the strong support of The People’s Government of Henan Province, Xiamen Airlines and Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport. We look forward to deepening our partnership with the Henan Civil Aviation Development and Construction Committee to promote sustainable traffic growth between Singapore and Henan.”

Apart from having one of the fastest growing economies among China's six Central Provinces (Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jianxi and Shanxi), Henan is home to attractions such as the Shaolin Temple and the Yellow River. "With the connection to Zhengzhou, Singaporeans will now have the opportunity to visit the Henan region, which is rich in cultural and tourism attractions," added Mr Lee.

Besides establishing direct flights between Singapore and Henan, CAG and HCADCC will work together to support airlines and promote air routes. Both parties will also support their respective tourism authorities in promoting bilateral tourism flows and strengthening tourism links through joint marketing efforts.