The official confirmation of Air France's alliance with Delta Air Lines has provoked a sudden burst of activity from the US carrier's existing European partner Swissair. That included the announcement of plans to accelerate moves towards a "merger" with Sabena.
Delta and Air France say that their deal, which covers broad alignment of commercial strategies on both passenger and cargo businesses, also includes an agreement to launch a new "multicarrier alliance" by the end of the year. That, they say, would be set up both with existing and new partners.
Within hours of the Paris announcement, Swissair's parent SAirGroup was busy reaffirming its commitment to Atlantic Excellence with Delta, Sabena and Austrian Airlines. But SAir has doggedly ruled out an alliance with Air France, at least in Europe.
This might help explain SAir's decision to add a further twist to events with the timely release of plans for a second transatlantic codeshare with American Airlines. SAir chief executive Philippe Bruggisser had confirmed that talks were taking place back in April, although he plays down suspicions that this marks a move towards joining American and British Airways in the oneworld alliance. Swissair and Sabena will now codeshare with American from Zürich and Brussels to Chicago, Boston, Miami. Codesharing on beyond gateway flights and frequent flyer links are also being considered.
In a further flurry of press statements, Swissair also said it would accelerate the integration of SAir and Sabena, effectively managing the two as a joint company. Sabena has been through a three year rehabilitation since SAir's acquisition of a 49% stake. With that complete the two carriers plan to amalgamate sales, marketing, product and human resources functions under a single Airline Management Company. due to start operations in June 2000.
This move comes on top of increasingly tight knit operations across SAir's European Qualiflyer alliance, which since May has opened joint call centres in London and Sweden. It plans more worldwide as well as joint venture companies serving other areas. "Developing one front while keeping the others going is the way of the world in the alliance landscape," says Bruggisser.
Source: Airline Business
