Opening up the skies to every budget

Once viewed as a luxury, flying overseas has become more affordable and accessible since the Republic's first low-cost carrier took off in 2004. Two decades after revolutionising Singapore's airline industry, Insight looks at what is next for budget aviation.

- Esther Loi

Is it safe? That was the first question Captain Keagan Pang's mother asked when she found out he was going to be a pilot at a low-cost carrier.

The year was 2011, and budget airlines in Singapore were expanding and looking to hire.

Having developed an interest in aviation after working in the air force and as a cabin crew member at national carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA), Captain Pang did not hesitate to sign up as a cadet at Jetstar Asia, before joining Tiger Airways.

Now an associate management pilot with SIA's low-cost arm Scoot, the 42-year-old has flown all over Asia, from Ipoh in Malaysia to Osaka in Japan.

Despite her initial reticence, Captain Pang's mother has become a regular on budget airlines, too. Fittingly, her most recent trip in 2024 was to Osaka on Scoot.

When it took off 20 years ago, the low-cost carrier industry in Singapore was met with fervour by some and doubt by others. But budget airlines have since become an accepted - even essential - part of the aviation landscape, opening up air travel to millions and creating a new breed of travellers.

While budget carriers make up about a fifth of the airlines at Changi Airport today, they fly to more than half of the 165 cities that the airport is connected with.

More than 40 destinations are exclusively served by budget carriers, including Vientiane in Laos and Jeju in South Korea. The shortest non-stop budget flight from Singapore is 55 minutes to Melaka. The longest is 12 hours to Athens.