Star Alliance is maintaining a wait and see approach in efforts to add an airline partner in Russia, the last of its previously announced "white spots" where it was seeking to improve its coverage.
Brazilian carrier TAM is set to become the alliance's 24th member after accepting an invitation to join the alliance. Star currently has 21 members, while Air India and Continental Airlines - like TAM - are Star bound.
Speaking at an event to mark TAM's decision to join Star Alliance, the latter's CEO Jaan Albrecht said: "We have said we had white sports in Brazil, India, China and Russia and we have covered three of these.
"With Russia we have a wait and see approach. They have gone from having one airline to 300, and some consolidation is taking place. We are seeing quite dramatic consolidation."
Russian flag carrier Aeroflot is already a member of SkyTeam and one of the options Star had been looking at was airline grouping AirUnion. The latter though has found itself engulfed in a financial crisis, which has seen a new plan under which the airline union will be merged with some other Russian carriers.
Albrecht says the AirUnion developments vindicate the alliance's wait and see approach in the country. "We continue to talk to Rossiya and S7. The strategy of Star is to focus our operations at Domedodovo Airport," he says, noting both operators have a presence at the Moscow airport.
It is similarly watching developments in Italy, where Star Alliance member Lufthansa is being courted - alongside SkyTeam's Air France - as a partner for a relaunched Alitalia. Lufthansa is already a partner in Air One - which will form part of the relaunched Alitalia under the proposal of Italian investor group Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI) which has gained fresh traction after securing union support.
"Italy is an important market in Europe and by definition is an important market for our members, particularly Lufthansa," says Albrecht. "Lufthansa already has a big presence with [Italian regional operator] Air Dolomiti and Air One."
He stresses the decision on a partner would lie with CAI, but that if Lufthansa emerges as a partner, Star would hold talks with Alitalia over it joining the alliance.
While the addition of TAM fills the void left by the departure of the former Varig operation nearly two years ago, Albrecht says there remain other areas of interest in the region.
"When we talk about TAM, we are looking at South America, that still leaves some opportunities in Central America and the Caribbean.
"Central America has been an important driver in that part of the world's [growth]. We are talking to airlines [in the region] and don't be surprised if we make an announcement in 2009," he says.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
