Final decision expected in November Alan Peat WHILE THE latest airline alliance and merger moves do not directly involve the national flag carrier, South African Airways (SAA), they play a part in the airline’s final decision about which international airline alliance it will join, according to Andile Mabizela, executive vice-president for alliances and international affairs. This decision is to be made soon, he told FTW, and the Air France takeover of Dutch airline KLM and the British Airways tie-up with Swiss International Airline - Swiss now being part of the OneWorld Alliance of which BA is already a main player - had to be taken into account. But, Mabizela added, the choice has now been reduced to a short list of two alliances, and OneWorld is not part of this. “We are in the process of choosing which alliance we will join,” he said, “either Sky Team or Star Alliance.” Sky Team has six members - Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta and Korean Air - with 8 000 daily flights to more than 500 destinations in 114 countries. SAA already has links with two of these carriers, local code share agreements with Air France and Delta of the US, Mabizela told FTW. It also has to take into account the fact that KLM has already decided to apply for SkyTeam membership, he added, as part of the project announced by Air France and KLM to create a new, leading European airline group. Although no official date has been set for KLM to officially join, Schiphol Airport - its home base in Amsterdam - will be an integral part of SkyTeam’s extensive hub strategy, according to Jean-Cyril Spinetta, chairman and CEO of Air France, and a member of the alliance’s governing board. The Star Alliance is an even bigger grouping of 16 airlines, according to Mabizela, offering access to 700 airports in 128 countries. And again, he added, SAA already has one link up with the group - a code share agreement with the German carrier, Lufthansa. At the moment, Mabizela is indicating no favourites. But, he told FTW, SAA will be announcing its final decision this November.
