Kingfisher not part of 'oneworld' alliance: Tom Horton

CAPE TOWN: Grounded carrier?Kingfisher Airlines BSE -4.89 %?is no longer part of global carriers’ alliance ‘oneworld’ which does not have any plans to induct any Indian carrier as of now, a top official said today.

“Kingfisher is not operational. Therefore, it is not an active participant of ‘oneworld’ any more,”?Tom Horton, Chairman of ‘oneworld’ and American Airways’ chief, told PTI on the sidelines of IATA’s annual general meeting here.

Asked whether the alliance had any plans to induct Indian carriers especially the no-frill ones, he said there were “no immediate plans’ for induction from India and there were no ongoing discussions with any Indian airline.

“We have an important presence in the Indian subcontinent through our member carriers like?Qatar Airways?and Sri Lankan Airlines flying into India,” Horton said, adding that Etihad Airways was also being extended an invitation to join the alliance.

Following its suspension by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for failure to clear dues last year, Kingfisher Airlines agreed with the global alliance to defer joining ‘oneworld’. It was slated to formally join the alliance last February.

The?IATA?suspended Kingfisher from its Geneva-based clearing house (ICH) due to non-payment of dues to airline members.

Global carriers’ alliance ‘oneworld’ includes world’s leading airlines and 30 affiliated carriers, like?American Airlines,?British Airways,?Cathay Pacific, Finnair,?Japan Airlines(JAL), Qantas and Royal Jordanian. Together, these airlines operate nearly 10,000 daily flights to more than 800 destinations across the globe.

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Source: PTI (2013). Kingfisher not part of ‘oneworld’ alliance: Tom Horton, The Economic Times?http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/kingfisher-not-part-of-oneworld-alliance-tom-horton/articleshow/20407677.cms published Jun 03, 2013. Viewed Jun 04, 2013.