Qantas' Jetstar in alliance with Air France-KLM

(courtesy of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide (Japan) KK)

Jetstar, the budget offshoot of Australian flag carrier Qantas, Wednesday announced an agreement with Air France-KLM which the airline hopes will expand its customer base in Europe.

The deal, which includes Jetstar, Jetstar Asia/Valuair and Jetstar Pacific, will cover all Jetstar ports and Air France-KLM hubs in Paris and Amsterdam.

The partnership will allow passengers to travel more easily to the almost 60 destinations across the Asia-Pacific region that Jetstar serves, including through its growing Singapore hub, Jetstar executive manager commercial David Koczkar said.

"It also supports Jetstar's position as the largest low-cost carrier in Asia Pacific," he said in a statement.

Air France-KLM, which operates more than 200 weekly flights to 22 Asian cities, said the alliance was a strategic move towards improving its reach into the fast growing region.

"By joining forces with Jetstar we are offering more choice in destinations between Europe and the Asia Pacific," said Marnix Fruitema, senior vice president Asia Pacific.

The deal is the first the Jetstar group has done outside its parent company Qantas. Jetstar operates close to 2,000 flights each week to 57 destinations across the Asia-Pacific region.

mfc/mtp