Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Lufthansa Group have signed a partnership agreement that will see the two airline groups operating routes between Singapore and Europe on a joint-venture basis, in addition to expanding codeshare ties significantly and deepening commercial cooperation.
In addition to SIA and Lufthansa, the agreement includes SIA subsidiary SilkAir and Lufthansa Group subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines. All the carriers involved are members of Star Alliance, with the exception of SilkAir.
On November 17, 2011 Singapore Airlines announced an order for eight additional Boeing 777-300ERs. Boeing had previously recorded the eight-aircraft order on its Orders & Deliveries website as being from an unidentified customer
Elements of the partnership agreement are subject to the groups receiving governmental approvals in various national jurisdictions, according to the two airline groups.
Flights between Singapore and both Frankfurt and Munich, as well as flights between Singapore and Zurich, are to be operated under revenue-sharing arrangements.
New SIA-operated flights between Singapore and Düsseldorf, which are to be launched in July 2016, will also be covered under a revenue-sharing arrangement.
Lufthansa Airbus A380 D-AIME is photographed during its take-off roll on Runway 07/25C at Frankfurt Airport
The two airline groups also intend to cooperate in key markets in Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia.
They aim to coordinate schedules, offer joint fare promotions, align corporate programs to strengthen their sales proposition to corporate customers, and explore enhancements to existing frequent-flyer program ties.
Expanded codesharing by Singapore Airlins on Lufthansa Group flights will provide SIA customers with convenient access to and from points in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, by means of connections at Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich.
Until Swiss International Air Lines takes delivery of six new Boeing 777-300ERs from 2016, the Airbus A340-300 is the largest aircraft in its fleet in terms of gross take-off weight
SIA is planning to codeshare with Lufthansa Group carriers on more than 20 additional routes.
In turn, Lufthansa and Swiss will codeshare with SIA and its regional arm SilkAir on more routes serving destinations in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific.
The two groups’ codeshare cooperation is expected to be expanded to more destinations in future.
Austrian Airlines operates five Boeing 777-200ERs. They are the largest and longest-haul aircraft in its fleet
Some of the benefits of the agreement will be introduced in the coming months, such as the new codeshare services.
Other elements of the agreement that require additional levels of regulatory approval may be implemented progressively through 2016, according to the two airline groups.
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