Jetstar Asia has announced the return of its flights from Singapore to Okinawa, becoming the only airline to operate direct services between the Lion City and Japan’s popular island holiday destination.
With support from the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the service will commence on 30 November, just in time for year-end holiday period.
Operating three flights a week the service will carry thousands of Singaporeans to the beautiful tropical paradise each year supporting local tourism and hospitality businesses.
To celebrate the launch, Jetstar has announced special one-way fares from Singapore to Okinawa, starting from just SG$159# on jetstar.com.
Jetstar Asia CEO, Barathan Pasupathi, said their great value services to Okinawa were back by popular demand.
“Okinawa has always been an incredibly popular destination and we know our customers can’t wait for us to resume this service,” said Mr. Barathan.
“The island boasts unrivalled beauty, with its pristine white beaches, stunning coral reefs, amazing cuisine and rich culture, offering something for everyone – whether you want to relax on the beach or have an adventure-packed holiday.
“Our amazing low-fares mean Singaporeans will be able to spend more while on holiday, taking advantage of everything the island has to offer and we thank the Okinawa Prefecture Government and Japan National Tourism Organization for their support of the new route.”
Okinawa Prefectural Government Singapore Representative Office, Director, Heat Ikehara, welcomed Jetstar Asia back to the stunning island.
“With the resumption of this direct flight, I am confident that we will see a vibrant increase in tourism and economic exchange with Okinawa, the nearest part of Japan from Singapore,” Mr. Ikehara said.
“We are also looking forward to more visitors from beyond Singapore to Okinawa by leveraging on Jetstar’s extensive connections via Singapore, ASEAN and the Oceania region.
“We look forward to working closely with Jetstar, JNTO and Okinawa Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (OCVB) to promote the charms of Okinawa so that more and more people will want to visit this beautiful holiday destination.”
JNTO Singapore Representative Office Executive Director, Hatsume Nagai said JNTO was delighted to welcome Jetstar Asia back to Okinawa.
“According to our recent survey, Okinawa has seen a sharp rise in its popularity with 47 per cent of respondents expressing interest in visiting Okinawa – the second highest Japanese destination”, Ms. Nagai said.
“With this strong interest in Okinawa, I’m sure many Singaporeans have been eagerly awaiting the resumption of Jetstar’s direct flights which will significantly contribute to the increasing number of Singaporeans travelling to Okinawa.
“Moving forward, JNTO will continue to work closely with Jetstar and Okinawa Prefecture to promote its charms to the Singapore market.”
Jetstar Asia first launched charter services to Naha Airport in Okinawa in 2014, before becoming the first low-fares carrier to fly direct between the two cities in 2017 attracting thousands of visitors to Okinawa each year.
Okinawa is the largest of 160 islands between Japan and Taiwan and is a dream destination for those wanting to island-hop.
Singapore to Osaka
In addition, Jetstar Asia announced it will resume a second Japan route with services from Singapore to Osaka (Kansai) via Manila commencing on 24 November 2023.
Jetstar Asia services to Osaka, one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in Japan, will operate five times a week, increasing to daily from 30 December to meet the pent-up demand for the service.
CEO Mr. Barathan added; “We’re so pleased travellers from Singapore and the Philippines will once again be able to snap up low fares to this popular destination giving them more exciting destination choices.”
Combined, the two routes will carry more than 180,000 passengers between Singapore and Japan each year. From Japan, customers can seamlessly connect to Jetstar Japan’s extensive network of 15 domestic destinations, including daily services from Okinawa to Narita, Nagoya and Osaka.