SIA, Air India ink pact for commercial cooperation

The airlines are exploring ways to enhance privileges beyond the current Star Alliance and KrisFlyer programmes

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has signed a commercial cooperation framework agreement with Air India that will build on existing partnerships between the two carriers.

In a joint release on Friday (Jan 16), the two airlines said that this latest agreement will allow them to improve connectivity between Singapore and India, providing “greater choices and benefits” for customers.

The agreement – which follows an earlier code-share partnership signed in 2024 – will require the necessary regulatory approvals.

Goh Choon Phong, CEO of SIA, said the collaboration will also “support the growth of air travel and tourism in both countries, and deepen their longstanding business and people-to-people ties”.

Both airlines currently code-share on 61 points in 20 countries and territories. This follows the October 2024 expansion of their code-share partnership, which added 51 international and domestic destinations in both networks.

After regulatory approvals and potential definitive joint business agreements, SIA and Air India aim to expand their product and service offerings.

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Other goals include enabling connections with more route options and allowing customers to book flights across both airlines under a single journey.

The airlines also intend to have a “closer coordination of flight schedules… and greater cross-participation” in their corporate travel programmes.

“The airlines will explore plans to progressively enhance privileges beyond the current Star Alliance benefits for members of Air India’s Maharaja Club and SIA’s KrisFlyer frequent flyer programmes,” they added.

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SIA holds a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India, based on its financial statements for the first half of FY2025.

Shares of SIA closed 0.2 per cent or S$0.01 lower at S$6.35 on Friday, before the news.

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