SINGAPORE - Singapore Airlines (SIA) has started a new codeshare partnership with Philippine Airlines (PAL), increasing flight options between the Philippines and Singapore, as well as to other international destinations.
The codeshare agreement will start on SIA’s and PAL’s flights between Singapore and Manila by the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approvals, said the airlines in a joint statement on Wednesday.
Codesharing agreements enable airlines to sell seats on each other’s flights and split some of the revenue, while also giving passengers more travel options.
Under the partnership, SIA will also codeshare on PAL’s flights from Manila to 27 destinations within the Philippines, including Cebu, Kalibo and Puerto Princesa.
PAL will codeshare on SIA’s flights to six destinations in Europe – Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Milan, Paris, Rome and Zurich.
Both carriers noted that these European codeshare sectors will be rolled out across PAL and SIA sales channels, as well as to travel agents, over the coming weeks.
They will also explore expanding the codeshare agreement to include SIA’s flights to additional European cities, as well as destinations in Australia, India, New Zealand and South Africa.
SIA already has a partnership with Malaysia Airlines and is working on similar agreements with other carriers such as Garuda Indonesia, Thai Airways International and Vietnam Airlines to broaden its reach beyond the city-state’s population of about six million people.
“SIA would appear to be strengthening its connectivity for its passengers from a position of strength and confidence,” said Mr Tim Bacchus, senior aviation analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “It likely doesn’t feel the need to do these deals, but sees win-wins in them.”
SIA is also set to take a 25.1 per cent stake in the enlarged Air India once the flag carrier gets formal approval to merge with Vistara.
The airline’s shares are up 12 per cent in 2023, the second-best performance on a Bloomberg gauge of Asia-Pacific carriers, which is down 14 per cent this year. THE BUSINESS TIMES, BLOOMBERG
