Chris Jasper/LONDON
British Airways and its oneworld ally, American Airlines, have filed applications with the US Department of Transportation (DoT) for codeshares on flights serving 75 destinations in the UK, USA, Europe and Africa in a long-awaited move which should breathe new life into the pair's faltering alliance.
American is also to apply to the DoT for anti-trust immunity for a major expansion of its fledgling alliance with Swissair and Sabena, with other Qualiflyer group carriers likely to be brought in later.
BA and American had planned to introduce a far-reaching alliance on transatlantic flights that would effectively have seen them operate as a single carrier. But the scheme caused European regulators to propose major slot surrenders and was finally shelved when industry overcapacity on key routes made such a sacrifice unviable. The DoT later indicated that it would not allow such a deal in the absence of a new US-UK "open skies" bilateral.
The new application would see BA place its code on American, American Eagle and Business Express flights connecting 31 US destinations with its own services into New York JFK, Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth and Miami. American's prefix will be added to nine BA domestic flights and services to 20 European cities, plus 14 points in Africa and Asia. The pair also plan to codeshare on transatlantic flights to the UK.
American chief executive Don Carty says the application develops the BA alliance "in ways that would not require anti-trust immunity" - but the move has attracted opposition from Star Alliance recruit British Midland, which says it would reinforce the dominance of the transatlantic market by BA-American, and it could still encounter regulatory hurdles.
Carty says meanwhile American plans to expand its relationship with Swissair and Sabena to offer "a comprehensive route network". Initial codeshares on flights to Chicago, Boston, Miami and Washington DC began last week as specified in a 10-year co-operation deal, and the trio aim to co-ordinate timetables, fares and destinations in the event of receiving anti-trust immunity.
For the European carriers, the alliance replaces the Atlantic Excellence Alliance, built around Delta Air Lines, which is to be dismantled following the US major's own alliance deal with their rival Air France. The move also brings the Qualiflyer airlines closer to the oneworld alliance, although they have consistently denied that they plan to join the global grouping.
Source: Flight International
