Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have received regulatory approval to extend their joint venture alliance.

The carriers welcomed the decision by New Zealand's Associate Minister of Transport, Matt Doocey, to reauthorise their joint venture alliance for another five years until March 2029.

In the announcement, Air New Zealand and SIA said this allows Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines to continue offering their customers more value, greater options, and access to a wide global network in the coming years.

The carriers said over the course of the 10-year partnership, Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines have grown the seat capacity between New Zealand and Singapore by nearly 50%.

This includes the addition of up to three daily services between Auckland and Singapore and a daily service between Christchurch and Singapore.

Mike Williams, chief transformation and alliances officer at Air New Zealand, said the partnership plays a key role in connecting New Zealand to the world. 

"Since the alliance was launched at the beginning of 2015, the two flag carriers have together carried over 4.6 million passengers between New Zealand, Singapore and beyond," Williams said.

"The partnership gives New Zealanders access to the world on Singapore Airlines’ vast network beyond the Singapore gateway into destinations in Europe, India and Southeast Asia," he added.

Following this extension and subject to regulatory approval, the joint venture partners will operate a total of four daily seasonal services between Auckland and Singapore from October 27, 2024, to March 29, 2025.

Dai Haoyu, acting senior vice president of Marketing Planning at Singapore Airlines, said Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines had been strong partners for close to a decade.

"The extension of our alliance allows us to continue offering our customers even more options between Singapore and New Zealand, as well as to domestic destinations within New Zealand and around the world," he said.

'This is exemplified by the fourth daily seasonal service between Auckland and Singapore, which will support the growing demand for both business and leisure travel," Haoyu added.

With the fourth daily seasonal service between Auckland and Singapore, the carriers will jointly operate 38 return services weekly between New Zealand and Singapore during peak months.

The carrier said this translates to more than 893,000 seats available every year.