All Nippon Airways (ANA) has finally thrown its hat into the Star Alliance ring to become the ninth full member, adding further pressure to flag carrier Japan Airlines (JAL) to commit to the rival oneworld partnership.
Airline president Kichisaburo Nomura announced ANA's intention to join Star during a gathering of the alliance's membership in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Japanese carrier anticipates joining the fold officially in October 1999, seven months after the planned entry to Star of Ansett Australia and Air New Zealand (ANZ).
The move has been widely anticipated since April, when ANA signed bilateral tie-up agreements with Star founders Lufthansa and United Airlines. The airline has been badly hit by Japan's economic difficulties and is expected to turn in a ´2 billion ($17 million) loss this year. Star membership will "-mean a real increase in revenue for ANA", says the company.
The admission of ANA, Ansett and ANZ will take Star's full membership to nine, along with Air Canada, SAS, Thai Airways International and Varig, which collectively will serve more than 700 destinations internationally. Singapore Airlines is also moving closer to joining the alliance, following its tie-ups with Lufthansa and, more recently, SAS (Flight International, 14-20 October).
JAL is considering joining the competing British Airways/ American Airlines-led oneworld group. ANA's decision to join Star, along with JAL's newly announced bilateral deal with oneworld member Cathay Pacific, is expected to add further impetus to this.
Meanwhile, the country's third carrier, Japan Air System (JAS), has decided to transfer its limited international services to the company's cost-cutting subsidiary, Harlequin Air. The switch will come into effect from 28 March and will include JAS flights from Osaka to Hong Kong and Guangzhou and between Tokyo and Seoul.
New routes that JAS plans to open in 1999, such as those of Tokyo-Hong Kong and Osaka-Guangzhou/ Xian, will also go to Harlequin. The 11-month-old charter carrier now operates one McDonnell DC-10 and three Boeing MD-80s leased from the parent carrier. JAS will increase this by adding a second DC-10 and an Airbus A300-600.
Source: Flight International
