Dragonair joins oneworld
New Cathay Pacific Airways subsidiary Dragonair will join Cathay as a member of oneworld "as soon as possible" in 2007. Oneworld says Dragonair will give the alliance 15 new destinations including 12 in China and its first destination in Cambodia. Meanwhile, Cathay and Dragonair began codesharing in December in line with efforts to more closely integrate operations. The reciprocal agreement covers seven cities. Cathay acquired rival Dragonair in September.
ANZ cuts Tasman capacity
Air New Zealand (ANZ) is carrying through on its threat to cut capacity on routes to Australia following denial by competition regulators of its proposed codeshare with Qantas. The cutbacks, which take effect over the next several months, range from 7-15%, depending on the specific route. Virgin Blue and Pacific Blue deny claims that they may consider alliances with ANZ following the failed Qantas deal.
Jet Airways clears US hurdle
India's Jet Airways aims to launch services to the USA in mid-2007 with rights it took nearly two years to secure. The airline applied in 2005 for rights to serve New York Newark from its Mumbai base via Brussels, but its application was held up over allegations it had links to terrorism. The US State Department in November determined the allegations were unfounded and the US Department of Transportation is expected to soon finally approve Jet's application.
Viva Macau launches
Start-up carrier Viva Macau launched operations after securing its air operator's certificate in late November. Macau-Phuket is the carrier's first scheduled route. Services to Jakarta in Indonesia and Male in the Maldives will soon follow. The Boeing 767 operator has positioned itself as a medium/long-haul low-cost carrier.
Vietnam Airlines joins IATA
Vietnam Airlines has joined IATA after completing the association's international operational safety audit (IOSA). The carrier, which has been considering membership in IATA for over 10 years, says it finally joined in early December.
Source: Airline Business
