ATW Daily News
S7 to join oneworld; Star content to wait on Russia
Wednesday May 27, 2009 Russia's S7 Airlines will join oneworld next year, the 10-member group announced, adding 54 new destinations and eight new countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) to the alliance's network.
S7 to join oneworld; Star content to wait on Russia
Wednesday May 27, 2009 Russia's S7 Airlines will join oneworld next year, the 10-member group announced, adding 54 new destinations and eight new countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) to the alliance's network.
S7 will be the second Russian carrier in an alliance. Aeroflot joined SkyTeam three years ago (ATWOnline, April 17, 2006). S7's first step toward integration will be its June 1 addition to oneworld's Global Explorer round-the-world fare. British Airways will be its sponsor and adviser during the 18-month alliance implementation program.
S7 carried 6 million passengers in 2008 and operates 26 A320 family aircraft, seven A310s and two 767s. It earned a $3 million net profit in 2008 on revenue of $1.7 billion and is 25% state owned. Oneworld members BA, American Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines and Royal Jordanian serve S7's Moscow Domodedovo hub. Mexicana is set to join the alliance this year (ATWOnline, April 11, 2008).
by Kurt Hofmann and Cathy Buyck
ATW Daily News
Oneworld enhances Latin profile with Mexicana
Mexicana yesterday accepted a formal invitation to join the oneworld alliance, giving the group 11 members and a second Latin American foothold; LAN Airlines joined in 2000.
Iberia will be the sponsor carrier for Mexicana and its Click Mexicana subsidiary as it targets 2009 membership. "For Mexicana, joining oneworld will strengthen its competitive offering and its financial position. For oneworld, adding Mexicana will expand the alliance's network in Mexico and Central America and enable it to build further on its positions as the leading airline grouping serving Latin America and the leading Spanish-speaking alliance," the parties said in a joint statement.
Mexicana and Click will add 26 new destinations to the oneworld network: 24 in Mexico, Bakersfield and Edmonton. It also is the largest non-US airline at Los Angeles International. Oneworld then will serve more than 130 airports in Latin America and nearly 700 destinations globally with a combined fleet of 2,350 aircraft.
"In the three years that Iberia and Mexicana have been working closely together as bilateral partners, we have come to know that in Mexicana we have colleagues with whom we can really do business--partners who can add real value to one another," IB Chairman and CEO Fernando Conte said. American Airlines will assist IB in bringing Mexicana into oneworld compliance.
Mexicana (46) and Click (22) serve 63 destinations in 11 countries. The mainline operates a fleet of 30 A320s, 20 A319s, 10 A318s and two 767s while the LCC flies 18 F100s on 115 daily flights. In 2007, privately held Mexicana transported 9 million passengers and Click 2.2 million.
Last year oneworld added Japan Airlines, Malev Hungarian Airlines, Royal Jordanian and Dragonair following the latter's acquisition by Cathay Pacific Airways.
by Brian Straus
