Sydney Welcomes Scoot

  NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has announced Asia’s newest long-haul budget airline, Scoot, had chosen Sydney for its first international route– injecting about $150 million a year to the NSW economy.

Mr O’Farrell said Scoot would fly daily between Sydney and Singapore from mid-2012, adding 400 airline seats a day into NSW from Asia, giving Australians cheap fares for holiday destinations in Asia.

“This is a great win for Sydney and travellers in the Asia-Pacific region, opening up Australia’s largest city to more international routes and lower-cost carriers,” Mr O’Farrell said. Scoot’s decision to fly its first service between Sydney and Singapore from mid-2012 will inject a further AU$146 million annually to the NSW economy. This is a significant step towards our goal of doubling overnight tourism expenditure by 2020, placing Sydney front and centre of the boom in budget travel in emerging markets like Singapore, China and India. It’s also confirmation that Sydney remains Australia’s only true global city – a position the NSW Government is determined to maintain.”

NSW Minister for Tourism George Souris said Scoot chose Sydney ahead of strong competition from Victoria and Queensland. “Singapore is one of Australia’s fastest growing tourism markets so we are delighted with Scoot’s decision to choose Sydney as its first port of call,” Mr Souris said. “Scoot’s arrival gives tourists from the growing markets of China and India more choice on how to get here and enjoy the many attractions and major events we have on offer in Sydney and NSW.”

Scoot CEO, Campbell Wilson, said he was delighted that Sydney, one of the world’s great cities, would be Scoot’s inaugural international destination. “As the first true no-frills airline operating between Sydney and Asia, we can’t wait to bring a whole new way to travel, even better airfares to shake up the industry. Sydney, here we come,” Mr Wilson said.

Destination NSW CEO, Sandra Chipchase, said there would be a two-year marketing partnership to promote the new service.

“Destination NSW in conjunction with Sydney Airport, Tourism Australia and Scoot will be investing in a two-year marketing and promotion plan for the airline’s new Sydney route,” Ms Chipchase said. “We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with our partners to develop a number of innovative marketing campaigns to promote Sydney and NSW to increase visitation from some of our key international markets and help achieve our 2020 target of doubling overnight visitor expenditure.”

Sydney Airport CEO, Kerrie Mather, said Sydney Airport, together with Destination NSW, were determined to attract Scoot to Sydney. “Scoot’s arrival will be a catalyst for growth of both inbound and outbound travel as low-cost airlines drive cheaper fares and deliver more choice. More and more people from China, India and South-East Asia have the desire and means to travel overseas. With its beaches, shopping and great places to eat, Sydney is a prime destination for Asian tourists and Scoot is perfectly positioned to capitalise on this market. Scoot is an exciting new product, it will service a growing market, and we are confident of its long-term success,” Ms Mather said.

Scoot will be the first airline to come to Sydney under a partnership agreement between Destination NSW and Sydney Airport to promote Sydney actively to new airlines and compete for new routes.

Tourism Australia Managing Director, Andrew McEvoy, said Scoot’s decision delivers on the strategic approach taken to foster new international flights from key source markets in Asia that help achieve Australian tourism’s 2020 growth goals.

“With Singapore now representing Australia’s sixth largest international tourism market, the decision by Scoot to choose Australia as its first port of call is a tremendous result,” Mr McEvoy said. “Tourism Australia, with our state tourism and airport partners, has taken a ‘team Australia’ approach to ensure Scoot has made Australia its start-up priority.”