SIA will increase services between Singapore and Amsterdam from daily to 10 weekly flights between August 1 and October 22, 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

The additional Amsterdam frequencies build on recent European network growth, including increased services to Manchester, Milan and Munich, a double-daily operation to London Gatwick, and a new five-times-weekly Madrid service via Barcelona.

Separately, SIA and Air New Zealand will increase capacity across their joint Singapore-New Zealand network by 17 per cent, adding around 72,000 seats.

Air New Zealand will launch a new three-times-weekly Singapore-Christchurch service and add four weekly Auckland-Singapore flights. Combined with SIA’s existing Christchurch operations, the airlines will offer up to 15 weekly Christchurch services during the peak period from November 2026 to February 2027.

SIA will also deploy the Airbus A380 on one of its two daily Auckland services, replacing the Boeing 777-300ER on that frequency.

Cathay Pacific to launch Almaty flights
Cathay Pacific will commence direct flights between Hong Kong and Almaty in the first quarter of 2027, marking the airline’s first destination in Central Asia.

The carrier intends to operate three weekly flights using Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The route will be the only direct air service between Hong Kong and Kazakhstan.

The new service will expand Cathay Pacific’s network in Central Asia and strengthen connectivity between Hong Kong and a key Belt and Road market.

Philippine Airlines, Qantas strengthen frequent flyer partnership
Philippine Airlines and Qantas Airways have expanded their frequent flyer partnership, allowing members of the Mabuhay Miles and Qantas Frequent Flyer programmes to redeem points across both airlines’ networks.

Mabuhay Miles members can now redeem miles on Qantas international and domestic flights, while Qantas Frequent Flyer members gain access to Philippine Airlines’ network across the Philippines and South-east Asia.

The agreement broadens redemption options across both carriers and marks the fourth airline partnership under the Mabuhay Miles programme.

Vietjet adds Prague and Nha Trang routes in network expansion
Vietjet will launch services between Hanoi and Prague from October 10, 2026, and between Nha Trang and Singapore from December 11, 2026.

The additions expand the airline’s European and South-east Asian network, strengthen connectivity between Vietnam and key international markets, and increase access to destinations across Vietjet’s network.

The new Hanoi-Prague route will operate twice weekly using Airbus A330 aircraft, with a stop in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The service marks Vietjet’s expansion into the Czech market and further strengthens links between Vietnam and Europe.

Vietjet has also introduced a new direct service between Nha Trang and Singapore. The route will operate four times weekly and will become the airline’s fifth direct connection between Singapore and Vietnam.

Credits: TTG

The post Aviation roundup: Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and more first appeared on AircrewNews.com.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked the Ministry of Construction, which took over aviation oversight after a government restructuring in 2025, for a three-month surcharge mechanism on basic economy class domestic tickets from April 1 to June 30. The surcharge would sit on top of existing regulated fare caps, which currently limit what airlines can charge.

The proposal comes as Jet A1 aviation fuel prices have surged to crisis levels. The average price in March was $190-200 per barrel, but hit $234.34 per barrel on March 24, roughly double pre-conflict levels. The physical premium for jet fuel delivery has also climbed above $30 per barrel, reflecting the acute supply squeeze caused by disruptions to Middle East shipping routes.

Under the proposed plan, surcharges would be tiered by route distance and would fluctuate with fuel prices.

On the Hanoi-Da Nang corridor (500-850 km), the surcharge would be VND297,000 ($11) per ticket when Jet A1 is priced at $220 per barrel, rising to VND365,000 ($14) if fuel tops $250. That would push the maximum one-way fare from VND2.89 million ($110) to as high as VND3.255 million ($124).

For the busy Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City trunk route (1,000-1,280 km), surcharges would range from VND450,000 ($17) to VND553,000 ($21), lifting the fare ceiling from VND3.4 million ($129) to nearly VND4 million ($152).

The steepest increase would hit the longest domestic routes. Flights over 1,280 km, such as Hanoi-Phu Quoc, would carry surcharges of VND553,000-680,000 ($21-26), pushing the maximum fare from VND4 million ($152) to VND4.68 million ($178), a 17% jump.

CAAV argued the proposed surcharges are still modest by regional standards. On Japan-South Korea routes of comparable flying time, fuel surcharges run at $55 per ticket when Jet A1 is at $180 per barrel, equivalent to about VND1.1 million ($42).

But higher fares are only part of the picture. Airlines are also cutting capacity.

From April, carriers plan to drop some domestic routes and reduce frequencies, prioritizing the Hanoi-Da Nang-Ho Chi Minh City and routes that serve essential political and economic functions. Some airlines have already suspended late-night, off-peak and low-demand services.

CAAV estimates that with Jet A1 prices at around $200 per barrel, airline operating costs jump by roughly 40%. A survey the authority conducted on March 20 of nearly 40 international and regional carriers found more than 60% had already raised or planned to raise fuel surcharges or fares from mid-March.

To ease the financial pressure on domestic airlines, CAAV has recommended extending the 0% import tariff on jet fuel, cutting the environmental protection tax on aviation fuel from VND1,500 to VND1,000 per liter, and reducing the value-added tax on jet fuel.

Credits: Vietnam

The post Flying in Vietnam could cost 17% more from April as Middle East fuel crisis deepens first appeared on AircrewNews.com.