Strategic tie-ups vital for SIA

[SINGAPORE] IN A New Year message to staff this year, Singapore Airlines' chief executive, Goh Choon Phong, highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships for the carrier to extend its network.

Watch this space, he wrote, promising more would be on the way.

Yesterday, the airline unveiled an alliance with Air New Zealand which analysts expect will intensify competition for carriers such as Jetstar - which has been struggling on the long-haul front - and loss-making Qantas, which is having a hard time both internationally and domestically. Virgin Australia (VA) - in which both SIA and Air NZ are major shareholders - is striving to gain market share Down Under, especially in the lucrative corporate travel sector.