Oneworld alliance eyes airlines from India

Paris, June 8: Oneworld alliance has said that India offers a huge market for air passengers and it will be interested in taking one of its airlines on board.

''India is a market of great interest to us,'' said its managing partner John McCulloch. ''It is a huge market which is expanding very rapidly.'' Mr McCulloch said oneworld is talking to all major airlines in India for a possible alliance. ''But it will take some time for India to consolidate and stabilise,'' he told UNI on the sidelines of an industry meet here.

His comments came as Jet Airways process of taking over Air Sahara is already on. At the same time, the government has said it is keen to merge the state-owned Air India and Indian (Airlines).

Aviation experts say overcapacity is building up with the start of new airlines despite rising air passenger traffic. So a shakeout is imminent.

oneworld has eight partner carriers -- American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, LAN, Finnair and Aer Lingus. Some 7.5 million passengers transferred between its member airlines' flights in 2005.

In early 2007, Japan Airlines will also become part of oneworld alliance. It is one of the biggest carrier in Asia Pacific in terms of revenue and passengers carried.

Revenues from oneworld alliance fares and sales activities last year rose by 20 per cent year-on-year to almost 650 million dollars, growing nearly three times faster than its member airlines overall passenger revenues.

Interlining between oneworld airlines-- one carrier selling connecting flights on another partner -- generated total revenues of more than 1.8billion dollars for the eight airlines, including benefits from alliance fares and sales products. That represents one dollar in every 30 earned by the eight carriers from their passenger services overall.

On the other hand, the combined losses of SkyTeam's members total five billion dollars and of more than 20 billion dollars by Star Alliance members.

UNI