Star Alliance

El Al CEO Claims Airline Can’t Join Alliance Due To Anti-Semitism … What?

El Al, Israeli’s national flag carrier, has been facing tough economic times. The airline faces continual competition from larger regional competitors; rising fuel costs and geo-political issues impacting is business.   It is no secret that Israel has few friends in the region, but the airline is a vital economic link for the country.   As…

A US Airways & American Airlines Tie Up … revisited

Following the mergers of Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines followed by Continental Airlines and United Airlines talk of further airline consolidation was rampant. Discussions of ‘the next’ merger was frequently fueled by US Airways’ CEO Doug Parker, with the logical tie up being a US Airways and American Airlines merger.   Now, as American…

Egyptair Curiously States One World Shall Not Be Liable

Airline alliances are made up of autonomous member carriers, frequently airline websites will have some legal wording that separates what an airline has on its website from its alliance, and its fellow alliance members.   Egyptair, having never been a member of an airline alliance before entering Star Alliance, came into Star Alliance as the…

How Certain Was It Air India Would Join Star Alliance?

There is the old saying that someone should not count their chickens before they hatch … although in the case of Air India it seems that not only did the airline believe they’d be admitted into Star Alliance on the 31st of July, many of the alliance’s member airlines believed Air India would be joining…

India To Infuse Air India With Additional US$113-Million

A day after Star Alliance rejected Air India, following a three and a half year courtship, the Indian Government has announced it will inject INR5,000,000,000 (approx US$113,000,000) as equity in the financially failing airline.   This equity cash stake in the government run airline will be paid out in two payments.   This cash infusion follows…

Star Alliance Rejects Air India After 3.5 Year Courtship

Two days ago I wrote Air India May Be Forced Out Of Star Alliance Before It Joins …   … early this morning Star Alliance’s Chief Executive Board, in Frankfurt, officially notified Air India’s management in Mumbai that their courtship for membership, which began on the 13th of December 2007 in Beijing, was effectively over….

Air India May Be Forced Out Of Star Alliance Before It Joins

This Sunday, the 31st of July is the deadline for Air India to meet more than 75 requirements to join Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance.  After 18 months of Air India delaying its entry into Star Alliance, since being invited to join the alliance in December 2007, the airline claims to now meet…

Air India’s Search For A Euro Hub in Dublin…but why?

On October 31 2010 Air India bid farewell to its short-lived European hub at Frankfurt Airport, in Germany.   Air India had established a hub in Frankfurt only 17 months before its closure, however despite referring to the Frankfurt hub as “crucial” the airlines’ expansion, Air India quickly determined that the hub inefficient. With the airline…