Scoot is doubling down on Indonesia. The budget carrier, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines Group, has officially announced two new direct routes from Singapore Changi Airport to the lesser-travelled Indonesian cities of Belitung and Pontianak, with fares starting from as low as SGD99 one-way. Announced on 9 April 2026 via a corporate media release, the move reinforces Scoot’s strategy of expanding into regional secondary cities that were previously underserved by direct flights.
For Singapore travellers, it means two new easy, affordable long-weekend options that have so far sat just outside the budget flight radar. For businesses, it opens up fresh trade and tourism corridors to two growing Indonesian economic zones. Here is everything you need to know about the new routes, including pricing, aircraft, frequency, and what the new connectivity could mean for the wider Singapore–Indonesia corridor.
Route 1: Singapore to Belitung — From 3 May 2026
Starting 3 May 2026, Scoot will fly twice weekly between Singapore Changi and H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin International Airport (TJQ), Belitung. One-way economy class fares start from SGD99, inclusive of taxes. Flights will be operated by the new Embraer E190-E2, a fuel-efficient, smaller-capacity aircraft that Scoot is increasingly using for thin routes.
Belitung is a mid-sized island off the east coast of Sumatra, best known for its ivory-white beaches, distinctive granite boulders at Tanjung Tinggi Beach, and off-the-radar island-hopping. It was the setting for the popular Indonesian novel and film Laskar Pelangi (“The Rainbow Troops”), and in recent years has seen meaningful infrastructure upgrades as the Indonesian government designated it one of the country’s priority tourism destinations.
For Singaporeans, the direct route eliminates the awkward connecting flight via Jakarta or Palembang that has historically made Belitung tricky to visit on a short break. A Friday-evening departure and Sunday-night return now becomes a realistic weekend escape, pricing it in line with a domestic staycation.
Route 2: Singapore to Pontianak — From 29 June 2026
Pontianak — the capital of West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo — joins the Scoot network from 29 June 2026 with a more frequent three-times-weekly service. One-way economy fares begin at SGD129 inclusive of taxes, again operated by the Embraer E190-E2.
Pontianak sits almost exactly on the equator (the city’s name literally references the Equator Monument) and is a regional hub for Indonesia’s palm oil, timber, and agriculture sectors. For business travellers, the direct service closes a long-standing connectivity gap: until now, reaching Pontianak from Singapore typically required a connection through Jakarta, adding four to six hours of total transit time.
For leisure travellers, Pontianak opens up access to the Kapuas River — Indonesia’s longest — and the eco-tourism draws of West Kalimantan, including orangutan sanctuaries and Indigenous Dayak cultural villages further inland. The city itself offers a distinctive blend of Malay, Chinese, and Dayak heritage that most Singaporean tourists have never experienced up close.
Why This Matters: Scoot’s Regional Play
Scoot’s 2026 fleet strategy leans heavily on the Embraer E190-E2. Smaller than its typical A320 workhorse but with superior unit economics on thin routes, the E190-E2 lets Scoot open lower-demand city pairs profitably. We have already seen the airline use the type on routes like Koh Samui (TH) and Krabi (TH), and the Indonesian expansion fits squarely into that pattern.
Industry analysts will note the twin launches as a strong signal of intent: Scoot is carving out a niche in regional connectivity just as legacy low-cost carriers like AirAsia and Lion Air compete fiercely on primary routes between Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. By focusing on secondary cities, Scoot avoids head-to-head competition and captures first-mover advantage on tourism corridors that Indonesia’s central government is actively promoting.
What It Means for Singapore Businesses
For SMEs in Singapore with Indonesian supply chains, particularly in agri-foods, timber, palm oil, and emerging eco-tourism, the new Pontianak connection is a genuine productivity gain. Direct same-day meetings are now possible, cutting the need for overnight stopovers in Jakarta. For tourism operators and travel agents, Belitung and Pontianak offer fresh “under the radar” itineraries to pitch to clients fatigued by Bali.
Enterprise Singapore and the Indonesia–Singapore Business Council have both flagged West Kalimantan and Bangka Belitung as emerging trade regions, particularly for green investment. Improved air connectivity typically correlates with a measurable uptick in bilateral trade volumes within 12 to 24 months of launch, based on historical patterns from Scoot’s earlier route openings.
Pricing, Booking, and Aircraft
Booking: Tickets are already on sale via the Scoot website, mobile app, and authorised travel agents. Early-bird fares tend to sell out within the first 48 to 72 hours.
Fares: SGD99 one-way to Belitung; SGD129 one-way to Pontianak. Both are economy class, inclusive of taxes, with the usual budget caveats: baggage and meals are add-ons.
Frequency: Belitung 2x weekly; Pontianak 3x weekly. Scoot has flagged the possibility of increasing frequency based on early uptake.
Aircraft: Embraer E190-E2, a 2-by-2 configuration twin-jet. Quieter, more fuel-efficient, and typically seating around 110 passengers — a smaller, more intimate cabin than the A320s most budget flyers are used to.
How It Stacks Up Against Existing Options
Before this announcement, Belitung was reachable from Singapore only via connecting flights through Jakarta (CGK) or Palembang (PLM), adding 4 to 7 hours of total travel time and typically pushing all-in costs above SGD250 one-way. Pontianak was in a similar boat, with Jakarta-based connections the norm.
At SGD99 and SGD129 respectively, Scoot’s new routes undercut the cheapest connecting options by 30 to 60 per cent and save half a day of travel on each leg. For short-break travellers, that is the difference between a realistic weekend trip and a wishlist item.
Looking Ahead
Scoot has hinted at further Indonesian network growth in 2026 and 2027, with analysts speculating about potential additions in Manado, Lombok (beyond existing services), and Sumatra. The E190-E2 fleet build-up supports that trajectory. For Singapore, the practical upshot is simple: more choice, more competition, and more affordable weekend-break options without the hassle of connecting through Jakarta.
If you have been looking for a “new” destination that delivers on beaches, culture, or something genuinely different, Belitung and Pontianak just became your easiest, cheapest options. Bookings are live now on scoot.com, and based on launch-day demand patterns, the cheapest seats are unlikely to last past the first week of sale.
Source: Scoot corporate media release (9 April 2026). Fares and schedules subject to availability and change.
