Distribution agreement makes SilkAir’s new Singapore-Laos fares and ancillary services available to global network of travel agencies via the Sabre Travel Marketplace.
SINGAPORE – Sabre Corporation and SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, have announced that new flights between Singapore, Vientiane and Luang Prabang are being made available for travel agents to book through the Sabre Travel Marketplace. This is the first time this air content will be available to travel agents via a Global Distribution System (GDS).
SilkAir launches its Singapore-Vientiane-Luang Prabang-Singapore flights, available through a codeshare agreement with Lao Airlines. With the new destinations, the full service airline operates almost 400 weekly flights to 51 destinations in 14 countries, using a fleet of Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.
SilkAir’s Vice President, Commercial, Mr. Ryan Pua, commented that SilkAir’s launch of these new routes will support Laos’s emergence as a popular international tourism destination. “This new service connects Laos with the joint Singapore Airlines and SilkAir network of over 100 cities worldwide, via the Singapore Changi Airport hub and connecting international flights. Now, through our agreement with Sabre, these flights will also be made available to over 425,000 Sabre-connected travel agents globally, supporting further growth in travel bookings to and from Laos,” added Mr. Pua.
Laos annual visitor arrival numbers: 2008 to 2015.
Source: CAPA – Centre for Aviation and Lao Tourism Development Department
Total visitor numbers to Laos reached 4.6 million in 2015 and are projected by the Lao Tourism Development Department to almost double by 2025, reaching 9 million.
“Laos has significant potential as an international tourism destination. Continued visitor growth is being further supported by a Government commitment to promote the industry[i], ongoing infrastructure development and the country’s entry into the ASEAN Economic Community last year,” commented Hans Belle, vice president of supplier commerce and strategic partnerships for Sabre Travel Network Asia Pacific.
Sabre is the first GDS to enable electronic ticketing of SilkAir tickets amongst authorised travel agents in Laos, which is a non-IATA Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) country. Sabre’s electronic transitional automated ticketing platform (eTAT) will create sales and ticketing efficiencies for local Laos-based agents and increase operational, cost and distribution effectiveness for SilkAir.
[i] Luang Prabang completed a major expansion project in 2012 and the Lao government has committed to expand the international passenger terminal and construct a new domestic terminal building at Vientiane International Airport by 2018.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
