AA, BA's große Liebe (Teil3)

[Jubilee]

Und wiederholt soll ein weiterer Versuch seitens BA unternommen werden. Hängt aber vieles wenn nicht sogar alles von den Ergebnissen der Open-Skies Gespräche (EU-USA) ab. Zuvor sind bisher alle Annäherungsversuche beider Airlines gescheitert...

 

Ich finde, seitdem die Spitze bei BA gewechselt hat, ist BA wieder deutlich lebendiger geworden. So langsam wirds auch Zeit, müssen sich auch in Europa besser positionieren. IB wird sicherlich bald von BA mehr oder weniger geschluckt...

 

We have fifty-seven 747s and forty-three 777-200s. I don't see us getting fifty-seven A380s(...)

Schade :)

 

Aber nun zum Text.

 

BA to forge new ties with American

 

Partnership could be first stage in eventual merger

 

Willie Walsh, who took over as chief executive of British Airways last week, wants to re-open talks with American Airlines, the US's biggest carrier, about forging a closer commercial partnership.

 

Walsh wants to deepen ties between BA and what he sees as the strongest US player by co-ordinating the airlines' pricing, scheduling and flight patterns. This could be the first step towards reviving the idea of a full merger between the two carriers.

 

American and BA, both members of the Oneworld airline alliance, have tried twice before to build closer ties but have been thwarted by US regulators on competition grounds.

 

The last attempt stalled in January 2002, when the US authorities demanded that BA and American surrender a total of 224 valuable take-off and landing slots at Heathrow in return for crucial immunity from anti-trust actions in the US.

 

Walsh believes that fresh talks on an 'open skies' agreement - which would ease restrictions that currently limit the number of airlines permitted to fly between the US east coast and Heathrow to four - could be the catalyst to a deal with American. In 2002, US regulators informed BA that it could not re-apply for anti-trust immunity before a fresh open skies agreement was reached.

 

Walsh said: 'We have an excellent relationship with American. They set themselves apart from other carriers. It is well documented that we would like to have had anti-trust immunity for American and that would have benefited American and our customers. But the price that was asked was too high.'

 

He added that he was optimistic about open skies talks, which resume this month, and that they gave him the opportunity to move again towards an American deal.

 

'It would initially involve greater co-operation between American and British Airways on commercial issues that we can't do now - pricing, scheduling, flying and so on,' he said. Asked if this could mean a merger, he said: 'That is a completely different agenda. The first stage would be to move to a closer relationship.' But he did not rule out the possibility.

 

American is larger than BA in terms of passengers carried on its scheduled service. It had 74.3 million passengers so far this year, compared with BA's 18.9 million since April. However, AMR Corporation, American's parent, made a net loss of $761m last year, compared with BA's operating profit of £530m.

 

He added that BA would continue to strengthen links with Iberia, the Spanish carrier. Iberia is also part of the Oneworld alliance, which is an attempt to increase efficiencies and networks without falling foul of competition regulators.

 

Walsh confirmed that BA will not consider adding to its fleet of long-haul aircraft until 2008, when it moves to Terminal Five at Heathrow. However, he indicated that he was interested in the Airbus A380 superjumbo, although not as a replacement for the existing fleet. 'We have fifty-seven 747s and forty-three 777-200s. I don't see us getting fifty-seven A380s. It would probably be an aircraft that was additional to the fleet.'

Quelle

[D-AGNT]

We have fifty-seven 747s and forty-three 777-200s. I don't see us getting fifty-seven A380s(...)

Schade :)

Wieso? Weiter sagt er doch:

I don't see us getting fifty-seven A380s. It would probably be an aircraft that was additional to the fleet.'

Klingt doch gut. Vor dem Hintergrund der engeren Zusammenarbeit mit AA sogar sehr gut!

Einer von beiden muss eigentlich den Vogel fuer die Rennstrecken kaufen, und wenn, dann wohl BA.

 

@all: Wie sind eigentlich die 380er Bestellungen nach Allianzen aufgeschluesselt? Welches Oneworld-Mitglied bekommt wieviele?

 

gruss, D-AGNT

[Gast United]

Von Oneworld hat nur Qantas 12 A380 bestellt, ansonsten noch keiner ...

 

Ansonsten:

 

Star:

Lufthansa 15

Singapore 10

Thai 6

 

Sky:

Air France 10

Korean Air 5

 

Oneworld:

Qantas 12

 

+

China Southern 5

Emirates 41

Etihad 4

Kingfisher 5

MAS 6

Qatar 2

Virgin 6

ILFC 5