Ansett-SIA deal approved

Ansett-SIA deal approved

SYDNEY (Dow Jones): The International Air Services Commission (IASC), the airline industry regulator, Tuesday said it has approved the proposed code sharing program between airline operators Ansett Holdings Ltd. and Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIA).

"An approval granted to Ansett International will allow it to sell code share seats on over 50 Singapore Airlines flights a week between Australia and Singapore," the IASC said in a statement.

Ansett Holdings Ltd., which is equally owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and Air New Zealand said earlier Tuesday it was gearing up for an alliance with Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines Ltd.

The three-way alliance has already been given the go-ahead by anti-trust watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.