July 8, 2025 – Singapore
Singapore’s competition authority has conditionally approved a proposed commercial partnership between Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, after accepting a set of commitments designed to preserve competition on the heavily trafficked Singapore–Kuala Lumpur route.
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) announced on July 7 that it had concluded its review of the cooperation proposal — first submitted in March 2023 — and found that the planned coordination of prices and capacity between the two full-service carriers could restrict competition on the Singapore–Kuala Lumpur (SIN–KUL) route.
To address those concerns, the airlines agreed to a package of commitments, including maintaining current weekly seat capacity, potentially increasing capacity based on performance benchmarks, sharing annual data on their respective low-cost carriers, and appointing an independent auditor to ensure compliance.
“The commitments provide flexibility to respond to market developments while safeguarding against anti-competitive effects,” said CCCS Chief Executive Alvin Koh. “They help ensure that as demand grows, capacity and travel options will grow with it — benefiting consumers in terms of both availability and pricing.”
The CCCS noted that its consultation with industry stakeholders earlier this year yielded no objections, and that the commitments take into account broader market shifts — including the planned permanent withdrawal of Jetstar Asia from the SIN–KUL route.
The conditional approval, issued on July 7, allows the airlines to move forward with the cooperation, subject to ongoing monitoring and compliance with the commitments.
The decision underscores Singapore’s dual focus on fostering competitive markets while allowing strategic airline partnerships that can improve connectivity in the post-pandemic travel landscape.
