Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines will start their long-gestating alliance on January 6, it has been announced.
Tickets for codeshare services between New Zealand and Singapore go onsale on Thursday.
The alliance was first announced at the beginning of this year (see news, January 16) and received regulatory approval last month (see news, August 7).
The Star Alliance carriers will from next January operate one daily return service each on the Singapore to Auckland route and SIA will also operate a daily return service between Singapore and Christchurch.
From next January, ANZ will fly the Auckland to Singapore route again while its Star Alliance partner will operate an A380 to New Zealand for the first time.
SIA's A380 will fly daily between Singapore and Auckland, replacing an existing daily B777-300ER service.
ANZ, meanwhile, will launch daily services between Auckland and Singapore using newly refitted B777-200ER aircraft, taking over five flights currently operated by SIA and adding two more weekly flights, increasing the frequency to daily.
SIA's daily service between Singapore and Christchurch will continue under the alliance.
Air New Zealand's "NZ" code was last on SIA's network in 2007, while ANZ last flew to Singapore in 2006.
Christopher Luxon, ANZ's chief executive, said: "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."
Goh Choon Phong, SIA CEO, added: "This alliance is a clear example of how our two airlines can do more by working together than we could do individually.
"Through increased frequency between Singapore and New Zealand and new codeshare destinations, it provides numerous benefits to our customers."
The carriers claim their alliance will increase their existing capacity by up to 30 per cent each year.
ANZ passengers will be able to access codeshare travel on SIA's network to the UK, Europe, Africa and south-east Asia, as well as on the network of its regional subsidiary airline, Silk Air.
SIA passengers will be allowed to codeshare travel across the ANZ domestic network and to selected international destinations.
airnewzealand.co.nz, singaporeair.com
Graham Smith
