2 April 2004
Singapore Airlines To Launch Services To Ahmedabad
From 28 July 2004, SIA passengers can enjoy the greater convenience of a direct service to Western India when the
airline starts its thrice-weekly B777 service to Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat.
With New Zealand’s sizable Indian community, these new services are expected to attract considerable interest both from
New Zealand Indians travelling abroad and from Ahmedabad residents wanting to visit friends and relatives in New
Zealand.
SIA has 17 weekly services from New Zealand to Singapore. From there, flight SQ462 will now depart Singapore for
Ahmedabad every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 0200 hours and arrive in Ahmedabad at 0445 hours the same morning. The
return flight, SQ461 will depart at 0600 hours and arrive in Singapore at 1400 hours.
With the new service, SIA will be serving six Indian destinations including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and
Bangalore.
For the Northern Summer season starting 28 March 2004, SIA will increase its non-stop services to Mumbai from 10 to 12
weekly. This brings to 31 the total number of non-stop weekly services to India at the start of the season and the
number will rise to 34 from 28 July 2004.
As India has extended the “ limited open sky policy ” till the end of April 2004, SIA will mount the fourth weekly
service to Bangalore, the third service to Kolkata and two supplementary flights to Delhi during the month.
Ahmedabad, the seventh largest city in India is also the commercial and cultural center of Gujarat. Conveniently located
between North and South India, the city is well-linked with the rest of the country through a comprehensive air, road
and rail network.
It is famous for its textile mills and is often referred to as the “Manchester of the East”. Known for its flourishing
diamond industry, the city is also growing its reputation as a software development and call centre.
The city has a rich and varied legacy as evidenced by its numerous ancient mosques, tombs, temples and forts. Other
places of interest are the Gandhi Ashram, the Calico Museum of Textiles and old seaport of Cambay.
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