Articles tagged “alliances”

It's only a matter of time until American Airlines follows suit.

Kjos and Norwegian's backers are making a big bet that they can disrupt trans-Atlantic traffic. You need a bit of chutzpah to make that happen.

Oneworld now has the most meaningful presence of its peers in the Middle East's fast growing travel market. This is a position it won't want to give up.

Airline consolidation is getting disruptive these days -- and not just for stressed out passengers. New global joint ventures such as Virgin Atlantic-Delta and Emirates-Qantas are shaking up the status quo, and will be increasingly challenging to global airline alliances.

Maneuverings by airline alliances and virtual mergers outside the alliance framework could provide resistance to U.S. airlines' hyper-global ambitions.

Changi's announcement follows a similar one from Heathrow in December of last year that designates its new T2 as a Star Alliance hub.

Given new chess moves such as Emirates' new relationship with Qantas, some would argue that the importance of global airline alliances are diminishing. El Al's best options, however, remain with the global alliances, but they are turning a deaf ear.

For now, just a wish list, but European airlines do have to consider banding up, with their own dicey economies and threat of long haul Gulf airlines taking over profitable routes.

Thus starts a pivotal moment in the global long haul aviation sector, a the power firmly moves to the mid-east hubs. All links to Europe now pass through the Gulf, metaphorically and literally.

The days of renegade entrepreneurs in airlines industry is over, at least in the Western Hemisphere, and all options have to be on the table, as Virgin Atlantic's moves show.