Arab airline alliance likely by early next year

The planned Arab air alliance is being created by eight airlines and is likely to be launched early next year, a top official of the regional association of airlines said yesterday.

Abdul Wahab Teffaha, secretary-general of the Beirut-based Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO), told Gulf News a meeting is scheduled for December in Cairo to address the issues relating to the formal launch of the alliance.

"The alliance is called Arabesk and is founded by eight Arab airlines with the aim of better schedule coordination, strengthening their marketing power and creating better connectivity," he said by telephone.

"The project name is Arabesk but the actual entity's name when formed will be decided by the founders. We hope this alliance will be launched in early 2006 and that several issues about the launch will be finalised this year.

The eight airlines are Gulf Air, Oman Air, Yemenia, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Egypt Air and Tunis Air.

None of these are members of any global alliance such as One World or Star Alliance.

Phase one includes schedule coordination to cover markets of the eight airlines and code-sharing, but the next phases would include other plans that the members want, he said.

"The primary aim is to strengthen the marketing power of the airlines in their own markets and create better connectivity."

Teffaha said the articles of association would determine how the project could be expanded to include more Arab airlines as well as to cooperate with non-Arab airlines.

"None of the eight airlines are part of any global alliance. However, their membership in the Arab air alliance should not preclude them from joining any other alliance."

In time, more Arab airlines are likely to join Arabesk.

Established in 1965, the AACO has 23 Arab airlines as its members and was established within the framework of the Arab League.