Singapore Airlines has announced a partnership with Air New Zealand which will see both carriers cooperating on the Singapore-Auckland route and other markets.

This means more options for travellers, SIA said Thursday morning. The airline which currently operates the Boeing 777-300ER to Auckland will replace this with the bigger Airbus 380 superjumbo. Air New Zealand will launch daily services between the two cities using its newly refitted Boeing 777-200ER.

The deal marks the Kiwi carrier's return to Singapore, after it pulled out of the market in October 2006, citing intense competition.

Subject to regulatory approval, SIA and Air New Zealand plan to boost capacity on the Singapore-Auckland route by up to 30 per cent.

The last two years, SIA has moved fast to boost alliances and tie-ups with partner carriers like Virgin Australia amid intense competition in the aviation business.

SIA also has a tie-up with Indian conglomerate Tata to set up a new airline to be based in New Delhi. The start-up is expected to start operating later this year.