From 15 October 2026, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Air India will sell each other’s flights between Singapore and India on a standalone basis, without requiring travellers to pair them with a flight on the booking airline. The change, set out in a joint release on 7 October, is the first step under the commercial cooperation framework the two signed in January.
The change covers 126 weekly flights between Changi and eight Indian cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata and Mumbai.
What changes on 15 October
At present, an eligible Air India-operated codeshare flight bought through SIA has to sit in the same booking as an SIA-operated flight, and the same rule applies the other way round.
That requirement goes on 15 October. Eligible flights operated by either airline can then be booked on a standalone basis through the other carrier’s website, mobile app and appointed travel agencies.
Miles and status
The frequent flyer side moved first. In April 2026, the two airlines widened the booking classes that earn miles and revised earn rates in every cabin, so KrisFlyer and Air India Maharaja Club members can already earn on more flights operated by either carrier.
The next step is from the second quarter of 2027, on top of the existing Star Alliance benefits. KrisFlyer PPS Club and Maharaja Club Platinum members will get priority check-in and boarding alongside the other airline’s own top-tier members. KrisFlyer Elite Silver and Maharaja Club Silver members will get extra baggage allowance and priority boarding on eligible routes.
What else the airlines are working on
The January agreement, signed in Mumbai on 16 January by Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson and SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong, set out a wider plan. It aims for flights across both airlines to be booked as a single journey, closer coordination of schedules and more cross-participation in corporate travel programmes, subject to regulatory approval and definitive joint business agreements.
SIA and Air India are also working on schedules that connect better, with shorter layovers and waits, plus offers for corporate customers and other steps to make travel smoother.
“Demand for travel between Singapore and India remains strong, and this partnership will give customers greater choice and convenience, as well as enhanced reciprocal benefits for our frequent flyer members,” said Mr Lee Lik Hsin, chief commercial officer of Singapore Airlines. Air India’s chief commercial officer, Mr Nipun Agarwal, said the next phase would bring “greater choice, convenience and value” between the two countries.
The codeshare has grown quickly. It covered 61 points in 20 countries and territories when the January deal was signed, and now covers 77 destinations in 27 countries and territories. They connect passengers through their hubs in Delhi, Mumbai and Singapore to Asia, Europe, North America and Australia.
