Singapore Airlines will continue to operate cargo-only passenger aircraft services to Cairns until at least 15 April 2021, after the Commonwealth Government extended support for the operation as part of the International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) programme.
Extension of the once-weekly flight for a further eight weeks will allow Singapore Airlines to continue to support local producers export their products to key markets across the globe.
Since launching the service to Cairns on 18 December 2020, Singapore Airlines has operated a total of 10 flights carrying more than 60-tonnes of cargo from Cairns alone.
The flight, which operates on a Singapore-Sydney-Wellcamp-Cairns-Singapore routing, has supported producers in the North East Queensland region to export produce, including more than 30-tonnes of live lobsters, live tropical fish and coral as well as fresh produce such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
Since introducing the services to Cairns in mid-December last year, Bangkok, Hanoi and Taipei have been the top three destinations to which shipments have been sent, with other key markets in Europe, North and South East Asia also receiving cargo from the region.
Singapore Airlines Regional Vice President South West Pacific, Mr Philip Goh, said the extension of the service through the IFAM programme would ensure North East Queensland producers continued to have direct connections to key trade markets.
“We welcome the continuation of support from the Australian Government for our Cairns, cargo-only passenger flights, through the IFAM programme, which will ultimately benefit the regions’ producers and exporters,” Mr Goh said.
“We remain committed to ensuring key trade channels remain open and connected during these challenging times.
“To have the support of the Australian Government, through programmes such as IFAM, assists us to ensure these flights can continue to operate successfully.
“The ability for North East Queensland producers to have direct access to our global network of key markets, via our Singapore Hub, is critical in supporting local communities during these difficult times and we are very proud to be able to continue to operate these flights.”
Singapore Airlines has supported Australian producers and exporters throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, operating cargo-only passenger services, as well as their regular freighter services to key Australian destinations.
These services have allowed for more than 60,000-tonnes of cargo to be carried into Australia between March 2020 and December 2020, including more than 2,200 tonnes of PPE, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and COVID-19 test kits. During the same period the airline has carried more than 45,000 tonnes of cargo to its global network, including more than 10,000 tonnes of Australia’s famous meat and fresh seafood.
On Monday 15 February 2021, Singapore Airlines proudly delivered Australia’s first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from Belgium, in partnership with DHL Global Forwarding, allowing Australia to begin the roll-out of its vaccination programme.
One week later, Singapore Airlines delivered Australia’s second shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from Belgium, with the highly valuable vaccine doses carried to Sydney on board SQ211.
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