SIA-MAB partnership is about dollars and sense

SOME companies can fit together like a glove, even if they are rivals. In the case of Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB), the rivalry was created after they became the national flag carriers of Singapore and Malaysia respectively, following the splitting up of Malaysia-Singapore Airlines into two separate entities in 1972.

Today, the airlines are having a go at, if not quite reuniting, then at becoming pals.

In October, SIA and MAB shook hands on a "wide ranging" commercial pact - a follow up from what was roughly agreed in June - to tap each other's traffic flow and markets with more codeshare routes and joint products.

While details on how exactly the two airlines plan to work together have yet to be fleshed out, one thing is certain - the collaboration is driven mainly by strong competition, overc…