Kingfisher plans to join oneworld alliance by 2011

New Delhi/Mumbai: India’s second biggest carrier by passengers carried Kingfisher Airlines Ltd plans to join the oneworld alliance, a global grouping of airlines, by 2011, which would give it better access to US, European and Asia-Pacific markets.
“It will also strengthen us financially through revenues from passengers transferring to our network from our oneworld partners and the cost reduction opportunities the alliance offers,” Vijay Mallya, Kingfisher’s chairman, said in a statement. The airline has signed a memorandum of understanding to enter the group.
Jet Airways (India) Ltd, the country’s largest airline, is not part of any such alliance yet, while Air India, run by state-owned National Aviation Co. of India Ltd, has paid to join Star Alliance, the biggest airline grouping.
The top three airline alliances are Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam.
India’s civil aviation ministry has to approve Kingfisher’s proposal as code-share agreements with such alliances involve bilateral rights with other countries. Code-sharing is a ticket-selling deal that allows travellers to connect seamlessly to destinations on flights of more than one airline. The civil aviation ministry has received the proposal and will study it, a ministry official said.
“A target date for Kingfisher Airlines to join the alliance will be confirmed once this approval is gained,” the airline said in its statement. “The process to bring any airline on board normally takes around 18 months to complete, so Kingfisher Airlines could be expected to start flying as part of oneworld during 2011.”
24/02/10 Tarun Shukla and P.R. Sanjai/Live Mint

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Categories: Foreign Feb 2010, Kingfisher Feb 2010, New Feb 2010