Air India is all set to join the world’s largest airline grouping, Star Alliance, on July 11, bringing a host of benefits to desi flyers like earning-and-burning miles on any member carrier, apart from seamless connectivity across the globe and access to lounges at all airports. The CEOs of Star’s 26 member airlines met in London on Monday for an “endorsement vote” and decided to end AI’s over five year-long wait to join the group — making AI the first airline from India to join a global alliance.
A formal announcement is expected to be made in Delhi on Tuesday jointly by AI and Star. AI flyers can expect immense benefits from the move as Star Alliance is the largest network in the world with 26 member airlines having 22,000 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries.
Star is followed by OneWorld and SkyTeam. Kingfisher was to join OneWorld but the airline is now grounded. Air France-KLM combine-led SkyTeam is keen on having IndiGo as a member.
Star's move represents two things — improvement in AI’s operations in past two years and the desperate need for Star to have a member carrier from the country to counter the growing influence of Gulf carriers with Emirates regarded as India's de facto national carrier.
Three years back Air India's entry into the alliance had been put on hold by Star as other airlines were not confident about the Maharaja's eligibility to join the group. Star members include some of the world's finest airlines like Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa.
In a boost to its sagging fortunes, cash-strapped Air India can expect its revenue to rise by at least 5% once the airline joins Star Alliance on July 11. Aviation minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju confirmed that the airline's seven-year-long wait to join the world's largest alliance was finally over and that it will be in the fold next month.
“We are happy that AI has become part of the Star Alliance. This is one of the biggest alliances in the world. AI's revenues may increase by 4-5% by joining the alliance,“ Raju told reporters on Tuesday afternoon, a day after the alliance's chief executive board (CEB) unanimously approved AI's membership in London.
“The integration teams at Air India, Star Alliance and its member carriers will now complete the last necessary work in order to ensure that Air India can offer all Star Alliance customer benefits from July 11, 2014, onwards,“ a statement by the alliance said.
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