Air NZ returns to S'pore next year as pact with SIA takes off

[SINGAPORE] Singapore Airlines' alliance with Air New Zealand, which will see the return of Air NZ to Singapore as well as additional capacity between the two countries, will take off from Jan 6, 2015.

The partnership, first announced earlier this year, will also give passengers access to destinations in both airlines' networks via codeshare flights.

The two Star Alliance carriers will each operate one return service daily between Singapore and Auckland, with SIA operating a daily return service between Singapore and Christchurch.

Air NZ will deploy a newly refurbished Boeing 777-200 aircraft on the Auckland-Singapore route, which will feature Business Premier, Premium Economy, Economy Skycouch and Economy seats. SIA will use the double-decker Airbus A380 on the Singapore-Auckland route during the Northern Winter season and switch to the B777-300ERs during Northern Summer. SIA will continue to operate retrofitted B777-200ER aircraft on the Singapore-Christchurch route.

In time, SIA and Air NZ plan to boost their existing capacity between the two countries by up to 30 per cent.

In addition, passengers will gain access to 40 destinations in Air NZ's network via codeshare flights, while Air NZ will codeshare to 50 other destinations in SIA's and SilkAir's network. Codeshare flights will go on sale from Thursday.

In January this year, SIA said its passengers will have access via codeshare travel to Air NZ's domestic network as well as selected international destinations, such as the Pacific Islands. Similarly, the Kiwi carrier will widen its reach to markets on SIA's network in Europe, Asia and Africa.

SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong said that the alliance showed how both airlines could achieve more by working together. "Through increased frequency between Singapore and New Zealand and new codeshare destinations, it provides numerous benefits to our customers," he added.

Air NZ chief Christopher Luxon highlighted: "We are looking forward to operating to Singapore for the first time in eight years, with this alliance allowing us to further expand our long-haul network and open up a wide range of new codeshare destinations for our customers." Air NZ cut the city-state from its network in 2006, citing a lack of profitability.

SIA and Air NZ - which both currently hold stakes in Virgin Australia - have a history of their own, with SIA previously holding a stake in the Kiwi carrier that was diluted after a cash-strapped Air NZ received a government bailout. SIA sold that stake in 2004 at a loss.