Singapore Air’s budget unit Scoot adds services as tourism picks up

Singapore Airlines Ltd.’s budget carrier is ramping up services across Southeast Asia as the carrier looks to win market share in the post-Covid recovery in regional tourism.

Scoot Pte Ltd. will add two destinations to its current regional network, including the Thai tourist hotspot of Koh Samui, and increase the number of flights to four other cities across Thailand and Malaysia it already services, it said in a statement Tuesday. 

The airline said it expects to take delivery of the first of nine E190 E2 jets from Embraer SA in April, allowing the expansion of services in May and June. 

The deal to acquire jets from the Brazilian planemaker has added a third manufacturer to Singapore Airlines, diversifying a fleet built around Boeing Co. and Airbus SE aircraft. It also offers the carrier more nimble jets that are better suited to catering to fast-growing markets across Southeast Asia amid bets tourism is set to recover from its Covid-era doldrums.

“Our fleet expansion reflects our confidence that the demand for air travel will continue to grow within this region,” Scoot Chief Executive Officer Leslie Thng said in the statement.