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"Operated by SilkAir" will no longer be a line that pops up when flying to regional destinations.

On Jan. 28, SilkAir, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, said it would cease operations, as it begins an ongoing merger with Singapore Airlines (SIA) to become one airline.

Plans for this merger has been in the works since 2018. 

It is scheduled for completion in the 2021/22 financial year.

Goodbye

In an email to KrisFlyer members, "SilkAir is now Singapore Airlines", the carrier detailed the transition.

The email read:

For more than 30 years, SilkAir has been the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, flying to cover 40 destinations in Asia Pacific, often chosen for its service reliability and its promise to make every journey a joy to fly.

From 28 January 2021, SilkAir will start its integration into Singapore Airlines – part of a planned merger announced in 2018.

You can now enjoy a world class experience, no matter how short your journey.

The carrier also elaborated on the "transformation" it would make during the merger, including "freshly painted livery" and "newly upholstered seats".

A Facebook post showed a SilkAir air stewardess changing from the aqua-blue SilkAir uniform to the distinctive SIA kebaya.

SilkAir vs SIA

Over the past few decades, SilkAir has essentially operated as SIA's regional arm, serving short-haul flights to countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

However, as SilkAir was not a Star Alliance carrier, it did not confer some benefits one could normally get from "elite tiers".

This included lounge access, and other priority treatment elite tier members were privy to.

Members that were able to access priority treatment on SilkAir flights were Krisflyer Gold/ PPS/ Solitaire members.

Following the merger, all Star Alliance members will finally be able to receive the same benefits and quality of service as in SIA, including seat-back in-flight entertainment, which does away with the burden of bringing one's own devices and struggling with internal WiFi.

The merger also serves to help SIA streamline operations, providing a consistent experience for all its customers.

It is also intended to reduce confusion among customers, as the carriers will operate under the same SIA name.

Top image via SilkAir Facebook