12 Years Ago, Cheap Flights Became A Lifestyle For Singaporeans, Thanks To This Airline

If you’ve ever snagged a flight for less than your cab fare to CBD at 9am, chances are you’ve flown Scoot.

The airline made its maiden voyage 13 years ago today (4 Jun 2012), jetting off from Singapore to Sydney. Scoot’s arrival in the skies gave Singaporeans something new: a low-cost, long-haul airline in bold yellow, with playful branding and ticket prices that left room in your wallet for souvenirs.

The maiden Boeing 777 flight that landed in Sydney on 5 Jun 2012. | IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The launch that launched 30,000 bookings

Even before its first flight, Scoot was already making noise – mainly because they were offering fares to Australia from just $88.

Unsurprisingly, Singaporeans did what we do best: book now, think later. Over 30,000 seats were snapped up in the first week. The airline hadn’t even taken off yet, but already had tens of thousands of followers on Facebook. Not bad hor.

Scoot's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in flight. | IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Born from Singapore Airlines, but not quite like SIA

If you don’t know, Scoot is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. The company started with a few hand-me-down planes (those of us with older siblings, you know the feeling), then upgraded to swanky Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and gradually expanded its routes.

And in 2017, it got even bigger after merging with Tigerair, another low-cost Singaporean airline, combining forces to serve even more destinations.

Scoot's new Embraer E190-E2 plane. | IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

12 years later, still “scooting” along

Since that first flight in 2012, Scoot now flies to over 70 across 18 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe. This includes places you wouldn’t usually associate with a “budget” airline like Jeddah, Athens, and Vienna.

Incidentally, the airline has won Skytrax’s World’s Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airline four years in a row (2020 - 2024).

Now in its 13th year, Scoot continues to offer affordable flights for those of us who want to travel without selling a kidney. It’s not the only low-cost option around, but for many, it’s been the go-to for spontaneous trips, budget honeymoons, and even that “I just need to get out of the country” kind of weekend.

And while the airline might not be perfect (budget = you bring your own snacks, lah), it’s become part of the way we travel. And if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll board the Pikachu Jet!

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