Beyond enhancing connectivity between Singapore and India, the move marks another step in Air India’s bid to reclaim its position as India’s leading international carrier.
Air India and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have signed a commercial cooperation framework agreement to deepen their long‑standing partnership through definitive joint business agreements.
The agreement was formalised in Mumbai on Friday by Campbell Wilson, CEO & Managing Director, Air India, and Goh Choon Phong, CEO, SIA. Subject to regulatory approvals and the signing of definitive joint business agreements, the airlines aim to expand and enhance product and service offerings, enabling seamless connections and more route options, and allowing customers to book flights across both airlines under a single unified journey. The partnership also envisages closer coordination of flight schedules to improve convenience for customers.
It could expand to include greater cross‑participation in corporate travel programmes to improve offerings to business travellers. The airlines will explore plans to progressively enhance privileges beyond current Star Alliance benefits for members of Air India’s Maharaja Club and SIA’s KrisFlyer frequent flyer programmes.
Campbell Wilson said, “Air India remains committed to expanding its global footprint, both by adding new aircraft to our own fleet and by forging stronger commercial partnerships, especially with our fellow Star Alliance member carriers. We are pleased to take our valued, long‑term relationship with Singapore Airlines to the next level through this new commercial cooperation understanding, which establishes a clear and structured platform for both airlines to explore and define future areas of closer collaboration.”
Goh Choon Phong added, “This agreement between Singapore Airlines and Air India is a natural evolution of our successful partnership, creating genuine value and delivering enhanced benefits to customers. It is a strategic, win‑win collaboration that will strengthen connectivity between Singapore and India, support the growth of air travel and tourism in both countries, and deepen their long‑standing business and people‑to‑people ties.”
Further details will be announced as plans are finalised, an official statement said.
Maharaja’s Revival Push
Besides strengthening collaboration between the airlines to improve connectivity between Singapore and India, the move is another step towards Air India reclaiming its position as India’s leading international carrier. In July-September 2025, rival IndiGo overtook Air India in international passenger traffic and expanded to serve the largest number of overseas destinations among Indian carriers.
Air India and SIA also plan to explore opportunities to broaden cooperation in select markets beyond Singapore and India, subject to regulatory approvals. This would meet growing demand for global connectivity, support traffic flow through both carriers’ hubs, and strengthen the air travel markets of both India and Singapore.
Today, the airlines codeshare on 61 points in 20 countries and territories, following the October 2024 expansion of their partnership, which added 51 destinations across both networks.
Air India, which returned to Tata Group ownership in January 2022, is struggling to make a comeback amid a five‑year Vihaan.AI transformation programme. In June 2025, it suffered a major setback after flight AI171 (Ahmedabad-London) crashed immediately after takeoff. Singapore Airlines, which holds a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India after the Vistara merger was completed in November 2024, has been approached for additional strategic support.