Lufthansa has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Air China, which will see the two Star Alliance members engage in a commercial partnership.
The agreement, which was signed during German Chancellor Angela Merkel's state visit to China, will provide Lufthansa with better access to the world’s second largest aviation market - after the US.
The German flag carrier already has existing partnerships with United Airlines and Air Canada on services between Europe and North America (since 1998), and with All Nippon Airways (since 2012) on routes between Europe and Japan.
"We are delighted that, together with Air China, we will be able to offer our customers, particularly those in Europe and China, even better flight connections and services in the future’, said Carsten Spohr, chairman of the executive board and chief executive of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
Exact details of the partnership have not yet been finalised, but according to a spokesperson for the airline the expanded partnership will see the two carriers conducting joint pricing and revenue sharing, as well as working together on maintenance and repairs of aircraft. It also opens up the possibility for an even closer collaboration between the two parties in the future.
Lufthansa and Air China have had a strong codeshare partnership since October 2000, and the two airlines jointly own the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Corporation (AMECO) – a technical support service company for aircraft in China.
The MOU agreement is expected to come into force by the start of the winter flight timetable in late October 2014.
For more information, visit lufthansa.com
Clement Huang