Understanding Jetstar Asia’s Final Boarding Call.
Commercial pressures or branding turbulence?
Like many, I was surprised by the abrupt closure of Jetstar Asia’s operations in Singapore. Yet I must admit: in its two decades here, I’ve considered flying with the carrier no more than ten times, and only ever boarded it once.
Hello, Scoot!
As a cost-conscious traveller, the final decision almost always comes down to the line items on the ticket.
But I am also my mother’s son—a very nervous flyer. I owe that, in large part, to movies like Final Destination and Red Eye, both have arresting storylines around planes, and to the media’s long-standing obsession with plane crashes. For travellers like me, the perception and reality of safety isn’t just about cost, it’s about trust. And trust, unlike cabin luggage, doesn’t show up on the accounting statements.
Because airlines are not immune to scrutiny, great aviation branding exists.
Think of Singapore Airlines, whose brand is steeped in national and cultural identity—an icon widely regarded as the gold standard of service and safety in aviation. I’d argue that its perceived trustworthiness is not just the proud product of decades of disciplined service infrastructure, but also years of marketing the aspirational lifestyle that Singapore offers.
Scoot, in turn, has benefited from its ties to Singapore Airlines, gaining access to its sister’s resources, equity, and confidence by proxy, specifically in service and safety, which explains why travellers like me subconsciously choose Scoot over Jetstar. Or take the recent rebrand of Korean Air, its first in 40 years. Under Lippincott’s hand, heritage and modernity are fused in cyan blue, a palette that somehow manages to look both dignified and buoyant. The result? A global carrier that communicates not just freshness, but assuredness.
In the same way we anoint leaders, we appoint airlines we most trust.
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Jetstar’s exit from Singapore may reflect the pressing challenges in addressing rising commercial costs, but I’d argue for its long-missed opportunity to build emotional equity with its passengers here as compared to other carriers like Scoot. As it landed on the ground, the news sparked disappointment, but even louder confusion. Customers were left obfuscated by the speed and silence of the decision.
I won’t speculate further like other pundits, some of whom I imagine have their flying privileges firmly intact. But I quietly wonder if Jetstar’s leadership would do anything differently if given the chance.
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