Singapore Airlines (SIA) will increase its frequencies to India, New Zealand and Hong Kong to cater to the increase in passenger traffic during the Christmas period. Singapore, hailed as the shopping haven in Asian region, witnesses an increase in holiday travellers during Christmas and New Year season, especially from India.

The carrier would e flying an additional flight between Singapore and India, expecting higher demands between the two destinations. The new service, which would be operated between Changi International Airport in Singapore and Bangalore's HAL airport, will be operated on Tuesdays.

On commencing of the new service, the carrier would now fly six times a week to the IT capital of the world.

At present, SIA has 53 weekly flights to 10 destinations in India. The carrier operates services to Trivandrum, Kochi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahemedabad, Delhi and Amritsar.

Singapore Airlines will also introduce two additional flights per week between Singapore and Auckland in New Zealand from this month. The flights would be operated on Thursdays and Saturdays between the two cities. Singapore is a stopover destination for many New Zealanders travelling on the route, while holidays travels also stops in the island country.

The carrier intends to add another service on this route from early next year, increasing the total number of flights between the two cities from 10 to 13 per week. From January 2007, the frequencies will be increased with an extra weekly flight that will operate on Fridays.

The airline will also connect Singapore and Hong Kong by commencing additional three flights immediately. These extra flights, which operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, will be in effect until mid-January 2007. While the additional three flights are to be added to its weekly schedule, a further flight would commence from March 2007.

From March next year, the carrier will increase its scheduled flights to the city with four more weekly flights. This increases the total number of weekly flights to the city to 42.

SIA was also planning to acquire more Boeing 777 airplanes, if Airbus were to delay the delivery of A380 superjumbo jets. The carrier was looking at acquiring Boeing 777-300Ers that would be a useful alternative to A380s.

The carrier had taken delivery of six 777-300Ers, while it is expecting to press 10 more into service by the middle of next year.

Singapore Airlines has placed 10 firm orders for Airbus's 555-seat A380, the world's biggest commercial aircraft. It had intentions to acquire nine more.

Airbus has pushed back the delivery date, citing wiring problems, and the carrier does not expect to get the first of the planes until next October.