Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines is to join the oneworld alliance.
The airline is currently being mentored by a team from British Airways which will help it with its joining programme.
A firm date for full membership will be announced shortly.
Once part of oneworld, members of the airline’s King Club can earn and redeem rewards and gain tier status points across the alliance network. This will grow the scheme’s reach thanks to Kingfisher’s 69 destinations across nine countries.
Kingfisher Airlines chairman and chief executive Vijay Mallya said: "By becoming part of oneworld, we will be able to offer our guests travel to more than 800 destinations in 150 countries, on a network that offers the best coverage of the routes and places that really count, flying with the highest quality airline partners.
“Joining oneworld will clearly strengthen our competitive position still further. Now that Kingfisher Airlines has now become a member-elect of oneworld, we have moved one crucial step closer towards becoming a full-fledged member and our team will certainly do all that is necessary to ensure we complete the implementation programme smoothly and on schedule".
by Dinah Hatch
