Air China is set to sign a codeshare agreement with Lufthansa, bringing it closer to the Star Alliance.
Lufthansa declines to comment on the details of the agreement, which is expected to be announced in early October. The airline's president and chief executive Jürgen Weber has said on several occasions that the Star Alliance is looking for a mainland Chinese partner to provide better access to the growing local market, and Air China has been named in the past as a potential candidate, alongside China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.
Air China already has a two-year-old codesharing agreement with Northwest Airlines, a founder member of the rival 'Wings' alliance. It is also a partner with Lufthansa in the Beijing-based Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering (Ameco) joint venture.
The entry of a Chinese airline into Star is not considered likely in the short-term, but a codesharing agreement like this is thought to form a sound basis for further negotiations.
Source: Flight International
