Star Alliance wants to expand in China (and India)

[RoMax]

Star Alliance expects to announce at least on new Chinese member. This member can be a real Chinese airline or an airline out of Taiwan or Hong Kong. Markus Ruediger (head of communications of Star Alliance) don't want to confirm that Eva Air will be a future member (EVA Air itself said they are going to join Star). He says that Hainan and Hong Kong Airlines (wich are in the same HNA Group) are also possible future members. He says it's too early to say more, but they expect to announce a new Chinese member before year end.

Air India will join as planned this summer. After several years of problems they are now ready to join, no big problems anymore.
He also said they don't exclude that one more Indian airline will join Star Alliance in the future. And Jet Airways is named as a possible member. Ruediger said the Indian market is big enough to have two members in the same alliance, they will probably not stop with Air India.

http://www.zakenreisnieuws.nl/nl-NL/art ... i_in_China

[kiwiandrew]

There were rumours on another forum a couple of months ago that an announcement was imminent for both Shenzhen Airlines and EVA , apparently senior *A officials recently visited both Shenzhen and Taipei . Four of EVAs six North American gateways are *A hubs ( YVR, YYZ,EWR,SFO ) at one time they also served future *A hub PTY , I wonder whether that could make a comeback ?

Shenzhen is controlled by *A member CA , interestingly there have been no rumours about CA's 100% subsidiary Shandong Airlines becoming a member as well.

[134flyer]

Interesting! Just one correction:

Markus Ruediger (head of communications of Star Alliance) don't want to confirm that Eva Air will be a future member (EVA Air itself said they are going to join Star). He says that Hainan and Hong Kong Airlines (wich are in the same HNA Group) are also possible future members.

Markus Ruediger of Star Alliance didn't mention Hainan and Hong Kong Airlines himself, he just said that possible new Star airlines could come out of 'Greater China', after which the editor of the article added that therefore Hainan and Hong Kong Airlines could be possible candidates as well. That being said, Hainan & Hong Kong Airlines could be nice additions for Star, although it is also rumoured that oneworld is chasing them as well. But then again, Cathay Pacific is apparently not very thrilled about that scenario...

[RoMax]

Markus Ruediger of Star Alliance didn't mention Hainan and Hong Kong Airlines himself, he just said that possible new Star airlines could come out of 'Greater China', after which the editor of the article added that therefore Hainan and Hong Kong Airlines could be possibele candites as well.

Yes you are right, I didn't ment it like that, but indeed in my post I said Ruediger said this...sorry.

But anyway they would be a nice addition. HNA is the largest private Chinese airline as far as I know and their daughter Hong Kong Airlines has enormous growing plans... Above that BRU (a (small) star hub) is well served by HNA and I have the idea they want to do more in BRU (they also own several hotels in Brussels) and Hainan's new European destination (Zurich) is also a Star hub. And with Cathey in Oneworld (like you said) I doubt they want Hong Kong Airlines in it (HKA has a very large amount of long haul aircraft on order, especially when they confirm the 32 B787's).
And there are rumours about Shenzen Airlines indeed, but I think in a market like China that you don't have to be happy with either HNA or Shenzen, but when you have them both, then you can be happy.

In Great China they can have some nice additions: Eva Air, HNA Group (Hainan, Hong Kong Airlines, and some smaller daughters), Shenzhen Airlines, Shandong Airlines...

[cnc]

He says that Hainan and Hong Kong Airlines (wich are in the same HNA Group) are also possible future members. He says it's too early to say more, but they expect to announce a new Chinese member before year end.

yea right... HU has the same hub as CA, PEK

[geoffrey11]

And Jet Airways is named as a possible member. Ruediger said the Indian market is big enough to have two members in the same alliance, they will probably not stop with Air India.

Just, there is a chance that AI and 9W join together in *A?

[134flyer]

He says that Hainan and Hong Kong Airlines (wich are in the same HNA Group) are also possible future members. He says it's too early to say more, but they expect to announce a new Chinese member before year end.

yea right... HU has the same hub as CA, PEK

IMO, the issue with HNA Group joining an alliance is that if they choose Star, Star could be happy with Hong Kong AL, but CA won't be too happy with Hainan AL. But if the HNA Group would choose oneworld, oneworld could be happy with Hainan AL, but CX won't be too happy with Hong Kong Airlines...

But you never know what happens in the future in regard to the relationship between CA & CX; wildly speculative of course, but perhaps one of them might change alliance in the (mid to long term) future, in order to be in the same alliance ...

[kiwiandrew]

http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engines-c ... iance-0418

Air China may compel Shenzhen Airlines to join Star alliance

Air China is pressing ahead with requiring its majority-owned subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines to join Star Alliance, an industry insider told ATW. The source noted thatStar is still evaluating the carrier and there is no specific timetable for a formal agreement.

interesting choice of wording, I wonder if it is a bad translation ?

[Boeing767copilot]

Air China may compel Shenzhen Airlines to join Star Alliance

http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engines-c ... iance-0418