Aviation Minister, Lord Ahmad was at the launch of Singapore Airlines new non-stop routes from Manchester.

The inaugural flight to Houston departed on Sunday 30 October, with Singapore Airlines celebrating by putting on a American display with dancing cheerleaders performing at the check-in desk, along with an American themed breakfast for passengers, cake cutting and ribbon cutting ceremony at the gate.

Alongside the Minister, this morning’s formal event was attended by Singapore Airlines customers, regional businesses and dignitaries overlooking the inaugural flight, as it pushed back for its first non-stop flight to Singapore.

Aviation Minister Lord Ahmad said: “It is a pleasure to be in Manchester to mark the inaugural flight between Singapore, Manchester and Houston, Texas. Every year nearly 100,000 people fly from the North West to Texas or Singapore – for holiday or for business.

"Now they can fly directly. Leading academic institutions such as the University of Manchester have also added their welcome and highlighted how this will help strengthen research partnerships in Texas whilst businesses across the North West will now have direct access to the economic engine that is Singapore.

“Manchester Airport’s offering of new long-haul routes, coupled with its £1 billion investment, will connect the Northern Powerhouse to even more long haul destinations and is another step in building an outward facing, global Britain.”

Speaking about the launch Singapore Airlines Vice President for Europe Subhas Menon said: “Our new non-stop routes to Houston and Singapore from Manchester are the first outside of London to offer travellers more convenient travel to Texas.

"We are committed to this region and want to continue to develop Singapore Airlines relationship with the people and businesses of the North West. With our partnership with Flybe, these routes are also open to travellers from 11 cities across the UK including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness”.

Ken O’Toole, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “This new service to Houston with Singapore Airlines will open up a whole new part of America to business and leisure passengers across the North.

"At a time when capacity in the South is constrained, we are adding more passengers and routes than ever before. Houston and Singapore, along with a wealth of other recent new routes, can only be found at Manchester in the UK outside of London. This underpins the role we play in the North as the global entry point of the Northern Powerhouse and as economic provider and job creator for the region."