Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa sign partnership agreement

Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa signed (11-Nov-2015) a partnership agreement to operate routes between Singapore and Europe on a JV basis, expand codeshare ties and deepen commercial cooperation. The agreement also includes Austrian Airlines, SilkAir and SWISS. Elements of the agreement, including new codeshare services, will be introduced in the coming months. Other features require additional regulatory approval and will be implemented during 2016. The agreement includes the following:

• The carriers will operate Singapore-Düsseldorf, Singapore-Frankfurt, Singapore-Munich and Singapore-Zurich services under revenue-sharing arrangements;
• The airlines will cooperate in key markets in Australia, Europe and Southeast Asia, including coordinating schedules, offering joint fare promotions, aligning corporate programmes and exploring enhancements to frequent flyer programme ties;
• More than 20 new codeshare routes will provide Singapore Airlines passengers with access to and from points in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland via Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich. Lufthansa and SWISS will codeshare on Singapore Airlines and SilkAir services to destinations in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. The carriers' codeshare cooperation is expected to be expanded to additional destinations.

Lufthansa executive board chairman and CEO Carsten Spohr said the partnership forms "a cornerstone" of the airline's strategy in Asia. Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said, "partnerships can result in more for our customers, as we can jointly provide benefits that we would otherwise not be able to provide on our own." [more - original PR]