Write an article about S’pore competition watchdog gives nod to Malaysia Airlines-SIA tie-up .Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), Retain any existing tags from Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines had jointly asked the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore in 2023 to decide whether the proposed tie-up would be considered an anti-competitive deal under Singapore’s Competition Act 2004. (Reuters pic)
SINGAPORE: The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) today granted conditional approval for the proposed commercial collaboration between Singapore Airlines Ltd and Malaysia Airlines Bhd.
The proposed cooperation will see the two airlines work together on scheduling, pricing, sales, marketing and other commercial areas, including expanded codesharing and special prorate arrangements.
In a statement, CCCS said the airlines had submitted a set of proposed commitments to address the commission’s concerns over price and capacity coordination that could restrict competition on the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur (and vice versa) route.
The proposed commitments include maintaining weekly seat capacity at current levels, increasing capacity upon meeting certain performance benchmarks, reporting annual operational data for their low-cost carriers on the route, and appointing an independent auditor to monitor compliance.
“Taking market developments into account, including the impending permanent cessation by Jetstar Asia Airways Pte Ltd, CCCS has accepted the proposed commitments as being sufficient to address its competition concerns arising from the proposed cooperation,” the commission said.
It noted that no concerns were raised by industry stakeholders during the consultation period from Feb 11 to March 4.
CCCS chief executive Alvin Koh said such joint ventures could improve connectivity and offer more choices for travellers.
“The proposed commitments offered by SIA and Malaysia Airlines allow for flexibility to react to market developments and ensure that more flights are added along the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route as travel demand increases.
“This would translate to more travel options and better prices for passengers in the long run,” he said.
Koh said CCCS would continue to monitor developments in the sector to ensure competition delivers positive outcomes for consumers.
SIA and Malaysia Airlines had submitted a joint application to CCCS on March 24, 2023, on whether the proposed cooperation would be considered an anti-competitive agreement under Singapore’s Competition Act 2004.
A further submission was made on Nov 3, 2023, stating that the cooperation would be limited to their full-service carriers and would not extend to their affiliated low-cost carriers, namely Scoot and Firefly.
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