SilkAir to add non-stop flights from Singapore to Busan from May 1

SILKAIR, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, said on Monday it will launch non-stop flights between Singapore and Busan, starting from May 1, 2019.

This will see the airline operating four weekly flights to Busan, which is the first South Korean city in its network.

SilkAir will also become the first airline to operate scheduled flights between Singapore and Busan, the airline added.

The new service will be operated by Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which feature both business and economy class cabins.

Customers will enjoy a "full-service experience" on board, said SilkAir. This includes in-flight meals, in-flight entertainment, complimentary baggage allowance and through check-in if they are connecting to or from another SilkAir or SIA point via Singapore.

SilkAir chief executive Foo Chai Woo said: "For Koreans travelling from Busan, the new route will also offer greater access and connectivity with the SilkAir and Singapore Airlines network in Asia-Pacific and beyond."

Located on the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula, Busan is the country's second-largest city and a tourist destination touted as the summer capital of South Korea.

Most recently, SilkAir said it would work with Irish aircraft seat maker Thomson Aero Seating to upgrade its cabins, ahead of a merger with SIA. The works, which start from May 2020, are for its Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet which will feature new lie-flat business class seats in a forward-facing staggered layout.

SilkAir currently has five 737 MAX 8s, with another 32 on order.