Jetstar is, subject to regulatory approval, to launch flights to Beijing, China.The airline is planning to launch a new daily Melbourne-Singapore-Beijing service starting from 24 November 2011 that will add more than 8,000 seats a week from across the Jetstar network to Singapore where they will join the flight at Changi Airport.

Beijing bound passengers and returning travellers to Beijing will be able to enjoy a stopover in Singapore to shop, or indulge in the myriad tastes of the city’s restaurants, generating an added source of tourism revenue.Jetstar Asia CEO, Ms Chong Phit Lian, said Chinese visitors to Singapore typically spend as much as 60% of their holiday budget on shopping excursions in the city – one of the world’s best retail havens.

“Singapore’s attractions such as Sentosa Island, the two new integrated resorts and the endless choices in local cuisines showcasing our multicultural city, are a strong draw for visitors,Ms Chong said.From Singapore, Jetstar now has three long haul services, to Melbourne, Auckland and Beijing – providing two different classes of comfort in Business and Economy.Beijing also presents visitors with many attractions, including the world heritage listed Forbidden City, Summer Palace and of course, the Great Wall of China. And from Beijing, with China’s growing network of high speed rails, short trips can be made conveniently to other major cities, allowing passengers to maximise their trips to China,Ms. Chong added.

Beijing will become Jetstar’s 9th Chinese destination joining Haikou, Shantou, Guilin, Hangzhou and Ningbo all of which were launched in the past 18 months.The new daily Singapore-Beijing service will connect with Jetstar’s existing Melbourne-Singapore service via Jetstar’s Singapore hub, with a stop-over in Singapore on the inbound Australian sector.