'Oneworld' alliance eyeing Indian airline partner

Company's CEO says no announcements to make and that they are looking at it

As Air India is slated to join Star Alliance in a few weeks, its competing global airlines grouping 'oneworld' today said that it was looking at plans to have an Indian partner.

"May be, but we have no announcements to make to you today. We are looking at it," 'oneworld' CEO Bruce Ashby told PTI on the sidelines of the annual meet of the International Air Transport Association here.

He was asked about speculation that 'oneworld' was in talks with no-frill carrier IndiGo, which Ashby himself headed till some years ago.

"In India, we are actually the largest alliance in terms of revenue from the Indian market. That is because of (the operations of) British Airways, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific and SriLankan Airlines. People do ask me are you going to add an Indian airline (in the alliance) and I say may be,"he said.

Air India is in a very advanced stage of formally joining Star Alliance and an announcement is likely to be made by July. SriLankan Airlines joined 'oneworld' on May 1, becoming the first carrier from Indian subcontinent to enter any global alliance.

Ashby said the 'oneworld' alliance had grown at "a very rapid pace" in the past three years since he took over as the grouping's CEO and was continuing to grow.

"There has been an amazing progress in our membership. Over 50% growth is most amazing... The biggest expansion than in the past. Our membership now ranges across the world - from North and South Americas to Europe and Southeast Asia," Ashby said.

From 250 destinations its member airlines flew in the past, "now we operate to over 1,000 airports. Our daily flights have risen by a whopping 76% to 14,000 flights. Our passengers have risen from 215 million to 500 million," he said.

Asked about the role played in the global aviation industry by global alliances, Ashby said it was very significant as over 60 airlines were today part of any of the three alliances and almost 80% of the industry revenue was generated by the members of these alliances.