Valuair to start Surabaya flights

Valuair to start Surabaya flights

SINGAPORE: Valuair Ltd., a Singapore-based budget carrier, said it will start operating daily flights to Indonesia's Surabaya from the island state to meet rising travel demand between the two countries.

Valuair will use Airbus SAS A320 aircraft on the new route starting Oct. 23 with fares from S$199 (US$118) for a round trip ticket, the airline said today in an e-mailed statement.

"The importance of trade between Singapore and Surabaya is on the increase and we're looking forward to tapping into latent demand with our value for money airfares," Ken Ryan, chief executive of Valuair, said in the statement.

Valuair is among 18 low-cost carriers that have been set up in Asia in the past three years, vying for passenger and cargo traffic in a region that includes three of the world's most populous countries.

Valuair in July agreed to combine its operation with Jetstar Asia, the international low-cost carrier operated by Qantas Airways Ltd., in the first merger of its kind in the region. -- Bloomberg