Calvin Chan, chief commercial officer of Scoot, charts the carrier’s future, from absorbing key routes to adding new aircraft to serve smaller cities across Asia
Tell me more about the decision to take over Jetstar Asia’s routes. Overall, how does Scoot identify and select destinations?
We constantly explore opportunities for network expansion across the regions, opening new city links and improving connectivity for our customers.
Following Jetstar Asia’s exit from Singapore, we have been progressively adjusting our network to support the demand for air travel to several destinations in Asia. This includes the launch of three-times weekly services to Okinawa from December 15, 2025, and two-times weekly flights to Labuan Bajo during the Northern Winter 2025 season, subject to regulatory approvals.
We have also increased our frequencies and capacities on other routes previously served by Jetstar Asia, such as Bangkok, Clark, and Manila, to support demand.
When evaluating new routes such as Okinawa and Labuan Bajo, we looked beyond just point-to-point traffic, but also demand to and from the wider SIA Group network, to assess the commercial value.
What are Scoot’s expansion plans?
Over the past year, we have added 13 new destinations: Kertajati (Greater Bandung) in Indonesia; Koh Samui in Thailand; Kota Bahru, Melaka, Sibu and Subang in Malaysia; Padang in Indonesia; Phu Quoc, Danang, and Nha Trang in Vietnam; Shantou in China; Iloilo City in the Philippines; and Vienna in Austria.
We will also be flying to Okinawa from December 15, 2025; Chiang Rai from January 1, 2026; and Tokyo (Haneda) from March 1, 2026.
We have received seven Embraer E190-E2s so far and anticipate the delivery of the remaining two by the end 2025. The E2s enable us to serve thinner routes to non-metro destinations such as Davao, Pekanbaru and Sibu. Currently, our E2s operate to 18 destinations in South-east Asia.
In addition to the E2s, we have added two wide-body Boeing 787 aircraft and four narrow-body Airbus A320 Family aircraft this year. We are expecting five more A320s this year and one more 787 next year. The fleet mix allow us to operate short, medium and longhaul flights that feed traffic to each other, and provides the flexibility to better match capacity to demand.
These new additions not only support our fleet renewal efforts, but also drive our network expansion plans. Our ongoing fleet renewal plan ensures that we maintain a young, modern and fuel-efficient fleet, with an average fleet age of around seven years – approximately half the industry average.
What do you think is the long-term impact of Scoot’s strategy on Asia’s tourism landscape?
While we do not have specific insights into the economic impact of Scoot’s business on the tourism industry in Asia, airlines play a significant role in stimulating demand through network expansion, which supports the growth in air travel and ultimately promotes trade and tourism, benefitting the broader economy.
Singapore’s domestic market is relatively small with a population size of about six million. As such, our strategy is to look at demand not only from Singapore, but also from beyond our borders. With Singapore as our home base, we leverage our geographic advantage and the world-class infrastructure and reputation of Singapore Changi Airport to provide seamless travel to and through Singapore to the rest of our network.
Scoot partnered with Dohop recently. Will there be more airlines joining this interline platform, and will the airlines mainly be low-cost carriers?
We recently launched our virtual interline platform, developed in partnership with travel solutions technology company Dohop.
In addition to the initial launch airline partners – Citylink and EasyJet – we have since added Air India Express, Jeju Air and Sky Express to the mix. This platform allows customers to book flights from Singapore to over 80 additional destinations across the globe.
Apart from the convenience of a seamless booking experience, customers can choose to purchase ConnectSure for journeys booked through Scoot’s new platform. This service protects passengers in the event of flight delays or cancellations, ensuring peace of mind on connected journeys.
We will continue to explore partnership opportunities with other likeminded airlines to provide our customers with more travel options, at great value.
