From Tuesday, the holy city gets a direct flight to Singapore after eight years, courtesy Scoot Air.
The Singaporean low-cost-long-haul carrier will operate the direct flight from Sree Guru Ram Dass Jee international Airport thrice a week — on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays — and four times a week, later. More than eight years ago, Amritsar’s direct air link with Singapore was cut when Singapore Airlines pulled out. Scoot’s advent will also give passengers connecting flights to Australia from the Southeast Asian island city-state.
The first Scoot flight will land at Amritsar around 1pm on Tuesday and return flight will take off around 2.10pm. The maximum introductory ticket prices are Rs 5,160 ($76) and Rs 13,900 ($205) for the economy and business class, respectively, and the minimum Rs 4,660 ($69) and 13,445 ($199), respectively.
A company official said: “Many Indian students go to Australia via Singapore. Amritsar’s being an import centre makes it important to put it on the route.” Qatar Airways, Turkmenistan Airlines, Uzbekistan Airlines, Malindo, Air India Express, Air India, and Spicejet fly out to foreign destinations from here currently. Scoot give Punjab people another option and the Amritsar airport a much-needed boost.
Welcoming the move, tour operator Ashwani Gupta of Dove Travels called it “a major respite to passengers”. Dibir Foundation president Gunbir Singh said: “This opens up the entire eastern hemisphere to the holy city as well as Punjab. Punjabi NRIs are delighted, and sending out congratulatory emails.”