Jetstar Asia takes to the skies – and beaches

Jetstar Asia has announced the return of its direct service to the subtropical island of Okinawa in southern Japan, with one-way tickets going as low as SGD66 from today.

The three-weekly service, slated to commence on 17 November* to coincide with the start of the year-end school holidays, will be Singapore’s only scheduled connection to the popular holiday destination amongst locals throughout the year.

The launch of the new scheduled service is also the result of customer feedback.

In 2014, Jetstar Asia first provided charter services to Naha Airport in Okinawa, making the airline the first low-fares carrier to fly direct between the two cities.

“Following the successful alliance, we have worked closely with Changi Airport Group and the Okinawa Prefectural Government to forge new direct air links between the two cities,” said CEO of Jetstar Asia, Mr Bara Pasupathi.

“We understood how unique and beautiful Okinawa is as a destination, with its pristine white beaches, coral reefs, unique cuisine and rich cultural history, but we wanted to know if our customers agree,” said Mr Pasupathi.

As part of Jetstar’s ongoing customer engagement process, the airline frequently polls its ‘Jetstar Customer Panel’ of over 35,000 customers across Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, to gauge where demand is.

“Of the many destinations, Okinawa emerged as Singapore’s top choice, with an overwhelming majority over other popular beach and city holiday options,” said Mr Pasupathi.

Okinawa, the largest of 160 islands between Japan and Taiwan, is an island-hopper’s dream destination. With many idyllic spots available for snorkelling, diving and ocean walking, travellers will enjoy all sorts of marine activities.

For travellers looking for a relaxing holiday, Okinawa is also known for its history, traditional culture, crafts and cuisine. The island is home to ancient castles listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The islanders are also world-class masters of traditional crafts including distilling, glass making and pottery making.

“Japan has always been on the top of the Singaporean travel bucket list. Since we started flying to Osaka via Taipei or Manila five years ago, Osaka has become the fastest growing destination in Asia Pacific,” Mr Pasupathi added.

“With more than 360,000 Singapore travellers choosing to fly to Japan every year, we believe that our new service and low-fares will create the same travel effect on Okinawa.”

Welcoming tourists from Singapore and the region, Mr Takashi Kadekaru, Director General, Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports from the Okinawa Prefectural Government says:

“It is our great pleasure to receive news of Jetstar Asia’s decision to start regular scheduled flights between Singapore and Naha, Okinawa.

“Okinawa is a resort paradise with beautiful nature, unique historical background and culture which attracts 8.77 million domestic and international travellers.”

From 17 November 2017, Jetstar customers will be able to get to their new favourite Japanese destination in Okinawa in just 5 hours and 10 minutes.

The new service will be operated by Jetstar Asia’s 180-seat A320. Promotional fares are available for purchase from SGD66 from Singapore today. To book flights, visit Jetstar.com.

One-way Economy Starter Fares+ from Singapore starts from SGD179.

The service will see Jetstar Asia operate up to 20 services a week to Japan which includes Osaka. From Japan, customers can connect to the rest of Japan through sister airline Jetstar Japan, which boasts the largest domestic footprint amongst low-cost carriers.

Jetstar Japan currently operates nine services a week to Naha in Okinawa from Narita, Nagoya and Osaka in Japan.