The joint venture between Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines, which also includes Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines and Singapore Airlines' Silk Air, will encompass all existing routes from Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich. This strategic agreement, which involves the sharing of commercial revenues, will also enable the two carriers to increase their codeshare routes. Initially, Singapore Airlines will be able to code-share to Lufthansa Group destinations in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland, with other European countries likely to follow in the longer term. Conversely, Lufthansa is expected to add its brand to Singapore Airlines and Silk Air routes to South East Asia and Australia-Pacific. The joint venture is expected to gain momentum over the course of 2016, once government approvals have been granted. It will also be accompanied by new services for travellers. A route operated by Singapore Airlines will be launched on 21 July 2016 from the City-State to Düsseldorf, Germany's third-largest airport. Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa have also expressed their wish to expand their cooperation in key markets in Europe, South East Asia and Australia, notably by coordinating their respective schedules to ensure smoother connections for their customers, harmonising their offers for business travellers and exploring new synergies between their frequent flyer programmes.
