Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Virgin Australia have announced plans to establish a long-term alliance that, if it meets regulatory and competition approvals, has the potential to transform competition in Australia-Asia markets and increase competition for Qantas in its core domestic and international premium travel markets. For Virgin, SIA completes the alliance puzzle that now stretches east to New Zealand and North America with Air New Zealand and Delta, respectively, west to the Middle East, North Africa and Europe with Etihad, and now North to Asia with SIA, as well as simultaneously feeding its domestic operation.