New Delhi: Air India's long wait to become a member of Star Alliance - a vital requirement for its elusive turnaround - may soon end. The aviation ministry has established contact with a majority of the 27 members of the world's largest airlines' alliance and got a favourable response for AI's joining the group.
Two factors are learnt to have weighed in the Maharaja's favour. Star was more keen on having Naresh Goyal's Jet Airways as a member from India. While the government had made it clear that any alliance would first have to accept AI as member and then alone could get the nod for having a private airline on board. Jet's impending stake sale to Gulf carrier Etihad could virtually rule it out for membership of the major alliances.
With Kingfisher, which was supposed to join British Airways-led OneWorld alliance, grounded and Jet going the Gulf way, AI remains the only full service alliance partner available for global alliances.
09/01/13 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
