SIA builds Pearl River links with Shenzhen route

SINGAPORE Singapore Airlines (SIA) will add Shenzhen as a new destination to its network from January 16 next year. The thrice-weekly service reflects a broader restoration of many of the island-state carrier's flights suspended earlier in the year. SIA has been progressively reinstating services across its route network since June, following the recovery in business from the SARS virus which decimated air travel across the region. SIA has restored all frequencies to China to pre-SARS levels, with Beijing being served twice daily, Shanghai three times daily, Hong Kong five times daily and Guangzhou being served five times weekly. With the addition of Shenzhen, SIA will now be offering a total of 43 weekly flights to three major cities in the Pearl River Delta, the other two being Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Customers travelling on SIA services to the Pearl River Delta will be allowed the flexibility to return to Singapore from any of these cities. For example, they could travel on the outbound flight to Hong Kong and return from Shenzhen. Shenzhen will be SIA's second new destination this financial year. A three-times weekly direct service to Bangalore was launched in August.