Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand have agreed to form an alliance to expand services between the two countries with the goal of increasing capacity on the route by up to 30%.
Air New Zealand will be able to fly the Auckland-Singapore route again and Singapore Airlines to operate an Airbus A380 to New Zealand for the first time. Pending approval from the Competition Commission of Singapore and the New Zealand Minister of Transport, flights should commence as soon as December.
Singapore Airlines will operate a daily A380 service between Singapore and Auckland, progressively replacing the A380 with a smaller Boeing 777-300ER during off-peak travel periods. Air New Zealand will launch daily services between the two cities using newly refitted Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, taking over five flights currently operated by Singapore Airlines, and adding two more to increase the frequency to daily.
The proposed alliance would enable Air New Zealand passengers to access codeshare travel on Singapore Airlines’ network to the UK, Europe, South East Asia and Africa. In turn Singapore Airlines passengers could access codeshare travel across the Air New Zealand domestic network and to selected international destinations.
Singapore Airlines ceo, Goh Choon Phong, says the partnership provides more flight frequency and enhanced travel options to customers.
Christopher Luxon, Air New Zealand ceo, says: “Air New Zealand is on a positive growth trajectory with a clear focus on Pacific Rim destinations. An alliance with Singapore Airlines clearly fits our business objectives of working with the right partners in the right markets to develop seamless customer journeys.”
The alliance returns the Air New Zealand NZ code to the Singapore Airlines network for the first time since 2007. Air New Zealand last operated to Singapore in 2006.
- Mandy Watson
