Singapore Air increases Gulf flights

Singapore Airlines is increasing flights to the Gulf Arab region to tap growing demand there even as it cuts flights on other sectors, its regional head said on Monday. Meow-Seng Lim, the airline's Gulf general manager, said the flag carrier expected to boost its passenger load factor due to a surge in tourism to and from the Gulf because of lower fuel costs.

Earlier this month, the Straits Times newspaper quoted an airline circular issued to travel agents as saying Singapore Airlines would reduce the numbers of flights to China, India, Australia, London and Zurich in response to falling passenger numbers.

The airline is launching flights to Kuwait in March and is increasing its weekly flights to Abu Dhabi to seven from three, Lim said. The airline operates 21 flights to Dubai per week.

"With the expansion, we will be operating 38 flights a week to the Gulf, of which 28 are to the United Arab Emirates alone. We are seeing growth in demand due to the growing trade links between the Gulf countries and the Far East," Lim told reporters.