Apr 06, 2017: Star Alliance members Ethiopian Airlines and Singapore Airlines will expand their codeshare agreement as of June 1, 2017, offering customers travelling between Africa and Asia seamless connectivity options.

Ethiopian Airlines' daily non-stop services to Singapore from Addis Ababa, due to be launched in June 2017, will be covered by the expanded codeshare agreement.

Under the expanded agreement, Ethiopian Airlines customers will be able to access multiple destinations in Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam across Singapore Airlines' wide network. And Singapore Airlines customers will enjoy access to Ethiopian Airlines' vast intra-African network including countries like Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote D'Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, The Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Girma Shiferaw, acting vice president, Strategic Planning and Alliances, said, "The two airlines will synergize their respective networks in Asia and Africa to offer customers the best connectivity options with one ticket and one single check-in at the first boarding airport. It will also play a critical role in enhancing investment, trade and tourism ties between a rising Africa, and a highly developed, innovative, and business-friendly Singapore."

Tan Kai Ping, senior vice president, Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said, "We are delighted with our expanded codeshare operations with Ethiopian Airlines. This significant expansion of our important partnership is in line with our ongoing effort to continuously expand our network reach and to offer customers more travel options and convenience when travelling between Africa, Asia and Southwest Pacific."

The airlines first began codesharing on each other's flights to and from Dubai in 2011. The expanded codeshare flights are subject to regulatory approvals and will be progressively made available for sale across various sales channels.