Scoot's 12th Birthday: The Story of the Singaporean Low-Cost Airline

Celebrating its 12th birthday this past Tuesday, Singapore based low-cost carrier Scoot has left a significant impact on the global aviation industry. 

Founded in 2011 as a Singapore Airlines subsidy, Scoot has grown to become one of the largest and most successful long-haul low-cost airlines of the 21st century. Here's a look at the history of the 12-year-old Singaporean airline. 
 

2011-2013 - The Birth of Scoot

On May 25, 2011, a group of Singapore Airlines executives decided to create a low-cost subsidiary for Singapore Airlines. Appointing Campbell Wilson as CEO of the new airline (the now CEO of Air India), the executives decided on the name Scoot in November 2011. 
 

To begin operations, Scoot acquired a total of six former Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. The airline used these aircraft to launch their first flight on June 4th, 2012 from Singapore's Changi International Airport (SIN) to Sydney International Airport (SYD). 

Later in 2011, Scoot launched flights to its second destination, Gold Coast (OOL) on Australia's east coast. 
 

During the first two years of operations, Scoot focused on adding numerous medium-haul routes to its route network, including service from Singapore to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Taipei, Seoul, and Perth. 
 

The airline also introduced a slew of innovative features at the time, including online check-in and ScooTv, the airline's inflight entertainment system. As well as new cabin classes like ScootPlus and ScootBiz in addition to traditional economy seats, a rarity for low-cost carriers. 
 

To ensure the new budget airline would have enough aircraft to continue its initial expansion, in 2012, Singapore Airlines and Scoot announced they would be transferring 20 of Singapore Airlines' Boeing 787 Dreamliner orders (10 B787-9 and 10 B787-8) to Scoot to accompany the multiple B777-200ER aircraft the airline already operated. 
 

2014-2015 - Initial Expansion

The mid-2010s marked the growth of Scoot's long-haul and medium-haul operations. By 2014, the airline had acquired all six of the former Singapore Airlines B777-200ER aircraft and was using them to serve high-density routes from Singapore with minimal competition. 
 

In February 2015, Scoot received its first batch of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, allowing the airline to dramatically ramp up expansion into Australia and Asia. 

In early 2015, the airline introduced their first B787-9 aircrafts to service on their Sydney, Perth, and Hong Kong routes. This was shortly followed by 787 service to Bangkok, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Tianjin, Shenyang, and Qingdao. 
 

As Scoot continued to receive deliveries of B787-9 and B787-8 aircraft, the airline began to phase out their original B777-200ER fleet. Scoot's fleet modernization saw the carrier become the first airline to operate a fleet of all Boeing Dreamliners. 
 

In addition to Scoot's mainline expansion, Scoot and Nok Air announced a joint venture in late 2014, a project dubbed "NokScoot". This new airline began operations out of Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) with destinations mainly in China and India.
 

2016-2019 - Merger with Tigerair and Short-Haul Growth

Scoot continued its ambitious growth in late 2016, with the merger of Scoot and Tigerair. Most significantly, the merger with Tigerair introduced 44 Airbus narrow-body jets to Scoot's fleet, allowing Scoot to enter the short-haul market with service from Singapore to many new destinations. 
 

However, despite the ability to service more local destinations, Scoot continued with its original mission of low-cost long-haul travel. In 2017, Scoot introduced its first flights to Europe, with service from Singapore to Athens (ATH) and Berlin (BER). Later that year, the airline also introduced its first route to the United States, beginning operations between Singapore and Honolulu, Hawaii. 
 

2020 - Present & Recovery

Like most other airlines, Scoot was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The carrier was forced to exit from all international markets except Hong Kong and Australia. 

In April and May of 2020, the airline only serviced two destinations, Perth and Hong Kong. In June and July 2020, Scoot expanded operations to include Guangzhou, Ipoh, Kuching, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur. 

Since 2020, Scoot has resumed European service to Berlin and Athens. The airline has also bolstered its flight offerings to Asia, with service to countries like Japan, Saudi Arabia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. 
 

Recently Scoot took delivery of its first two Embraer E190-E2 aircraft to further expand its short-haul capabilities. As of April 2024, Scoot operates a total of 50 aircraft split between 12 A320-200's, 6 A320neo's, 9 A321neo's, 11 B787-8's, 10 B787-9's, and 2 E190-E2's. 
 

As Scoot celebrates 12 years of low-cost offerings from Singapore, the airline continues to eye ambitious expansion plans to continue its mission of offering cheap long-haul flights. 

Growing from a small local budget airline to a key international player, it remains to be seen what will come from Scoot over the next few years.