ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

Singapore Airlines touches down in Wellington for the first time

Author
Katrina Bennett, Georgina Campbell,
Publish Date
Wed, 21 Sep 2016, 7:34PM

Singapore Airlines touches down in Wellington for the first time

Author
Katrina Bennett, Georgina Campbell,
Publish Date
Wed, 21 Sep 2016, 7:34PM

The first Singapore Airlines flight to Wellington arrived today.

The flight left Singapore last night, and touched down in the capital just after three this afternoon.

New Zealand's High Commissioner to Singapore Dr Jonathan Austin was on hand at Changi Airport to farewell the flight.

He said the new connection will strengthen New Zealand's relationship with Singapore.

"The relationship with New Zealand and Singapore goes back a long way. Having just another point of connectivity and a capital to capital connection I think will help to bolster that even further."

Singapore Airlines spokesman Mak Swee Wah agreed the new connection will strengthen the two countries' relationship.

"The capital express not only marks a new chapter in our long history in New Zealand, it's a reinforcement of our commitment to New Zealand and the entire south west pacific region.

"Today is a culmination of hard work, dedication, vision, belief and team work. Now all of that work has paid off and what was once a dream, is now a reality."

Dr Austin said it will also bring some major benefits for Wellingtonians.

"The benefit for Wellingtonians is a faster time through to Singapore, and then from Singapore into Asia and the rest of the world. Singapore's already a great transit point if you're travelling through to Europe, for example."

The flight is not direct from Singapore, with a brief stop-over in Canberra.

Newstalk ZB host Tim Fookes, onboard the plane, says partway through the seven-and-a-half hour flight to Australia, trouble struck.

He said a call came over the system for a doctor to be found as someone had been suffering fainting spells throughout the trip.

Fookes said medical staff boarded the plane as passengers disembarked in Canberra.

Meanwhile, Perth woman Isabelle Chu said she's been on many first flights, but this will be her first visit to New Zealand's capital city.

"This is a very exciting flight, flying from Singapore to Canberra, and I admire that Singapore Airlines has the guts to negotiate this flight path. It's excellent."

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you