Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines launches flights to Darwin

Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines well, actually it's the SQ regional offshoot Silk Air will begin flights to Darwin in 2012.The Singapore flag-carrier will begin four times weekly flights to the Top End from March 26 under the aegis of SilkAir which travellers will be pleased to learn is a full-service premium airline with a true business class cabin and service.SilkAir's flight MI802 will leave Darwin on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at the ungodly hour of 2.30am, arriving into Singapore Changi Airport at an only slightly more sane 5.30am if you're stopping at Singapore rather than connecting to elsewhere, good luck getting an early check-in at your hotel in fact you'll probably end up booking your room starting the day before.

The return leg, MI801, will depart from Singapore at 7.30pm for wheels-down at Darwin around 1.45am.Virgin Australia will also open a lounge at Darwin Airport, with lounge access available to all business class travellers and high-status frequent flyers of Virgin's many partner airlines, among them Air New Zealand and Etihad.Both airlines will also begin reciprocal 'earn and burn' rights for their respective Velocity and KrisFlyer frequent flyers from December 20.Codesharing of selected Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines flights is slated to commence in early 2012.The alliance with Singapore Airlines enables us to open up important new routes in Australia and Asia said Virgin Australia Group Executive of Alliances, Network & Yield Management, Ms Merren McArthur, citing Darwin as an increasingly important commercial hub.Our services will be attractive to business travellers who now have the option of a quality business class flights from Sydney to Darwin and on to Singapore and beyond."