THE skies between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur opened on Monday, with 29 flights between the two cities, 60 per cent more than the day before.

And right from the first 6.10am departure on Tiger Airways, there were ample bums to fill the seats.

The traditional year-end peak, attractive fares, as well as the shutdown of Bangkok airport which has seen travellers opt for other destinations, were among the reasons for the strong traffic.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) as well as low-cost carriers Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia all reported good loads.

SIA spokesman Stephen Forshaw said: 'So far today, traffic on our flights between Singapore and KL has generally been quite heavy, with some flights full or very near to full.'

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and budget carrier AirAsia are the other two big players in the market.

With the opening of the market yesterday, there are no more restrictions on the three low-cost carriers which until now were allowed to operate just four flights a day. Now they do up to 15 flights daily.

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times