Air India to tie up with Star Alliance

New Delhi, Sep 6: With a view to enabling the new entity formed by the merger of Air India and Indian (Airlines) to compete globally, the Board of Directors of Air India has approved the national carrier joining "Star Alliance" as it entailed a lot of benefits to the customers as well as the carrier.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told the Lok Sabha today that the Board had recommended initiation of discussions with the management of Star Alliance on the joining process and related activities.

The details of the terms and conditions of the tie-up would be worked out once it was finally decided to join this alliance, he said in a written answer.

Mr Patel said this alliance would benefit the customer to get access to expanded global network with single ticket and seamless travel and transfers. He will have choice of global partner FFPs to earn and burn miles, besides getting one point access to the entire range of global alliance's products and standard quality of service across carriers around the world.

The benefit that Air India would get includes : Re-align the international routes network to access new markets, improve profitability through increased feeder traffic, access to best practices, processes, systems, integrate IT systems with Alliance members to enable deeper and more meaningful information sharing and gain access to shared alliance facilities, infrastrcture and branding.

UNI