There are just four airlines with an Air Operator’s Certificate in Singapore.
The number of airlines registered in Singapore is surprisingly small, given the country's importance as a travel hub. Along with its position as a leading Asian tourism destination, the country's main airport, Singapore Changi Airport, is one of the world's busiest hubs connected to over 100 airlines. We look at every airline registered in Singapore below.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), there are just four airlines registered in Singapore – Singapore Airlines (SIA), Jetstar Asia (JSA), Scoot (TGW) and ST Engineering Aerospace.
To register an airline in Singapore, carriers are required by the Air Navigation Regulations (ANR) of Singapore to hold an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and obtain regulatory approval from CAAS.
The flag carrier of Singapore and the country's oldest airline by almost half a century, Singapore Airlines launched in 1947 as Malayan Airways. The airline rebranded as Malaysian Airways and then Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) before adopting its current name in 1972.
SIA has consistently been one of the world's top airlines over the decades, earning a reputation for five-star service and comfort. It has also been one of the busiest airlines, regularly ranking in or around the Top 10 in terms of passengers carried.
The airline now has around 140 aircraft in its fleet, including the largest fleet of Airbus A350s in the world. Singapore Airlines is notable as the world's first airline to operate the giant Airbus A380, debuting the aircraft on a flight from Singapore to Sydney on October 25th, 2007.
Singapore Airlines Cargo, which was once its own separate cargo airline and subsidiary of SIA, was integrated into the Singapore Airlines Group in 2018.
The second-oldest airline registered in Singapore is Jetstar Asia Airways, founded in 2004. The budget airline is a subsidiary of Jetstar Airways, the Qantas-owned LCC founded a year earlier.
Jetstar Asia and Jetstar would eventually operate under a unified brand and by 2008, JSA was running a profit after a few difficult early years.
The airline operates an all-Airbus A320 fleet, with nine jets currently in service. Over the COVID pandemic, Jetstar Asia retired several A320s – six aircraft left the fleet in early 2020, followed by three more this year.
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Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, launched operations in 2012. The airline has grown rapidly and now boasts a fleet of 60 aircraft and over 25 more on order.
Tigerair, the former Singaporean airline bought by SIA in 2014, was integrated into Scoot in 2017.
The airline has grown rapidly and has rebuilt its network to over 45 destinations across 16 countries, offering affordable fares to long-haul destinations like London, Berlin, Jeddah and Athens.
The carrier's most recent addition to the fleet is the Airbus A321neo, while it also has 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
ST Engineering Aerospace is a Singaporean company primarily providing engineering services. However, one of its jet charter divisions – Pacific Flight Services Pte Ltd (PFS) – has its own Air Operator's Certificate.
ST Engineering Aerospace is perhaps best known as a leading conversion specialist. The company recently partnered with Boeing to open another 767 freighter conversion line in Guangzhou.
Which is your favorite airline in Singapore? Let us know in the comments.
Journalist – With 10 years of experience as a travel writer and aviation analyst, Luke has worked with industry-leaders including Skyscanner, KLM and HotelsCombined throughout his career. As a passionate traveler based across the Middle East and East Asia, Luke offers strong insights into the travel and aviation industry.