Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines have restarted their codeshare agreement after a two-year pause.
Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines have been partners since 2011, but COVID-19 forced the partnership to go on pause.
With both airlines beginning to bounce back in the post-pandemic world, the codeshare agreement was restored on Monday 7 November, returning the two carriers to their pre-pandemic partnership status.
Starting from Monday, 42 Singapore Airline flights will have a Virgin Australia number en route to Europe and Asia. The destinations available include Vietnam, South Korea, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.
Meanwhile, 31 Virgin Airlines domestic and international routes will be available to Singapore Airline passengers, including the addition of New Zealand.
Routes to Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast will be open to passengers, meaning more opportunities to make and maintain connections across the country.
Virgin’s Group chief strategy and transformation officer, Alistair Hartley, released a statement on the agreement. “Singapore Airlines has been a valued partner of Virgin Australia for well over a decade and we are excited to resume the sale of codeshare flights, creating a more seamless booking experience for our customers.”
“Expanding our partnership with Singapore Airlines means we are able to offer our loyal customers more choice and value when travelling internationally, creating more ways to see the world, through wonderful travel experiences on Singapore Airlines.”
During the midst of the pandemic, both Singapore and Australia were among the most isolated countries due to international travel restrictions. With the sudden post-pandemic boom in the aviation industry seeing many flying to see their family members for the first time in years, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia have announced a record profit for the first half of the year.
This announcement of the codeshare agreement will need regulatory approval but could also mean Virgin Australia customers may get unprecedented access to flights to South Asia, North America, and more.
Singapore Airlines’ senior vice president marketing planning, Jo-Ann Tan also commented on the deal. “Virgin Australia has been a longstanding partner of Singapore Airlines for over a decade, helping to fly our mutual customers to key destinations in Australia and around the world.
The return of the VA code on SIA flights provides even more opportunities for Australians to seamlessly explore the world, no matter where they are based. As more countries across Asia remove travel restrictions, it also opens up Australia to travellers from these regions.”
