New Delhi: Star Alliance — the global network of airlines — may not take any Indian carrier on board for the time being, following letters written by Air India pilots about safety and maintenance standards in the state-run operator, according to civil aviation analysts.
Both Air India and Jet Airways were on the verge of joining the alliance.
Senior officials at Jet Airways, however, said they were evaluating all possible options.
“Joining Star Alliance is a management decision and the one we are still evaluating. We cannot comment if Air India’s status vis-à-vis the alliance affect our chances when we apply for induction into it. But we hope the state-run carrier will be soon affiliated with the international body,” said a senior Jet official on the condition of anonymity.
However, officials in the civil aviation ministry believe that the alliance may give both Air India and Jet Airways the miss.
Some of the 27 members of Star Alliance are opposed to Air India joining the group. Air India won’t be able to join even if one of the airlines decides to vote against it.
“The chief executive board of Star Alliance will meet on Sunday to vote on the issues. We will get to know the result by Monday morning. As of now, our induction date has been postponed for a couple of weeks. After finding out the voting result, we will be notified of the induction date,” an Air India official said.
30/07/11 The Telegraph
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
0 comments:
Post a Comment