New Delhi: Jet Airways' impending stake sale deal with Abu Dhabi's Etihad may have closed the option of Star Alliance membership for Naresh Goyal's airline but it may still become the first Indian carrier to be a part of an emerging new global alliance. Last week, Air India chief Rohit Nandan met Star Alliance CEO Mark Schwab in Europe to discuss Maharaja's entry into the fold.
It is learnt that while Star has so far not decided on AI's entry into the fold, it is watching with interest Etihad's growing stake purchases in airlines across the world and feels that Abu Dhabi's flag carrier may be trying to forge its own new alliance . With Jet and Etihad deal likely to be signed soon, the Indian carrier will provide the allimportant India connection to the new alliance, which the three largest passenger alliances — Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Oneworld — have been hoping to get for years.
19/03/13 Saurabh Sinha/Times of Indiaar
