Budget carrier to fly Shanghai service

Jetstar Asia, the international budget unit of Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd, is to start flights to Shanghai as part of its initial operating schedule from its Singapore base. The airline is expected to begin operations in December with flights to seven Asian destinations including Hong Kong, Taipei, Manila, Pattaya, Jakarta, and Surabaya, as well as Shanghai. Pricing and schedules for the new airline were not made available although Jetstar said it planned to cover more routes in the new year following the delivery of more aircraft. As well as taking on more established airlines, Jetstar will also compete with two other Singapore-based budget carriers, Valuair and Singapore Airline's subsidiary Tiger Airways.