The Star Alliance is angling to bring LOT Polish Airlines within the grouping as an eastern European partner although rival oneworld is also in the frame.
Star chief executive, Jaan Albrecht, confirms that the alliance is having talks with "several carriers" which became available after the break-up of Swissair's Qualiflyer group, including tentative discussions with Swiss. But LOT is seen as the prize, giving access to eastern Europe's largest population.
When LOT chose to team up with Qualiflyer in 2000, both Lufthansa and British Airways had been strong runners in the competition, but pulled out after Swissair raised the stakes with a lucrative offer to buy a stake in the state-owned Polish carrier. Lufthansa acknowledges that it is keen to get back in the running although BA too has had long-running ties with the carrier, including a codeshare through to London.
Albrecht adds that Star would be interested in filling other gaps in its system in China and is also "having a close look" at the growing Indian market as an "area of opportunity".
Source: Airline Business
