Singapore Airlines and Scandinavian Airlines have agreed to boost air services between Singapore and destinations in Scandinavia - including with direct flights to the Swedish capital Stockholm.

Under a memorandum of understanding signed earlier, the Star Alliance partners plan to co-operate on existing as well as new flights.

Subject to regulatory approval, the airlines are to participate in joint operations, including the co-ordination of flight schedules and joint sales activities.

Such joint operations are expected to enhance efficiency while giving the travelling public greater choice and flexibility.

SIA currently operates three weekly flights between Singapore and the Danish capital Copenhagen.

The partnership is expected to lead to growth in air services between Singapore and Scandinavia, and, depending on market conditions, pave the way for a new route between Singapore and Stockholm.

No airline currently operates non-stop flights between the two cities.

“We are extremely pleased to have reached this breakthrough agreement. SIA and SAS share a common desire to provide more travel choices to our customers, and through our partnership we can jointly offer more flights between our home markets, which would otherwise be difficult to provide on our own,” said Singapore Airlines executive vice president commercial, Mak Swee Wah.

Since December 2010, SIA has been codesharing on SAS-operated flights beyond Copenhagen, to Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm.

SAS has in turn been codesharing on SIA-operated flights between Copenhagen and Singapore as well as on selected flights between Singapore and Bangkok.

In May 2011, the airlines announced a Letter of Intent to explore ways to further develop their partnership.

The MoU is a major step forward in this process.