Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Lufthansa have signed a wide-ranging partnership agreement that will see the two airline groups operating key routes between Singapore and Europe on a joint-venture basis, in addition to significantly expanding their codeshare ties.

Flights between Singapore and Frankfurt and Munich, as well as services between Singapore and Zurich, are to be operated under revenue-sharing arrangements. This will also apply to SIA’s newly announced flight services between Singapore and Düsseldorf, which are set to be launched in July 2016.

“We are very pleased to have reached agreement for this extensive partnership, which will bring significant benefits to consumers through enhanced connections and more codeshare destinations,” says Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong. “Singapore Airlines has had longstanding ties to Lufthansa, which is an ideal partner with an excellent network and strong customer focus. This agreement deepens ties with the wider Lufthansa Group, providing a solid foundation for numerous commercial cooperation opportunities.”

The two airline groups intend to cooperate in key markets in Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia, coordinating schedules to provide more convenient connections between route networks. The agreement also includes SIA subsidiary SilkAir and Lufthansa subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Swiss.

The expanded codeshare ties will provide SIA’s customers with convenient access to and from points in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, via the transfer hubs of Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich, with more than 20 new codeshare routes. Lufthansa and Swiss will in turn codeshare with SIA and SilkAir on more routes serving destinations in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific.

Other cooperation plans to be introduced throughout 2016 include joint fare promotions, aligning corporate programs, and exploring enhancements to existing frequent-flyer program ties. www.singaporeair.com