oneworld

Airline liberalisation in Latin America has transformed a mixture of bloated and inefficient govt-owned airlines into a more stable and sustainable industry. Nowhere is that more evident than what LATAM has achieved over the last several years following its creation in 2012 through the historic cross-border merger between Chile’s LAN and Brazil’s TAM airlines. It has emerged as the top airline in the region and the number two player in the US-Latin American market. “Airlines have had to adapt to market changes and developments and compete in what is a global industry,” LATAM Airlines Group CE Enrique Cueto said of the many strategic initiatives the company has undertaken to get where it is today. “Until relatively recently, however, there was no Latin American airline with a regional presence that could compete at a global level." <br/>

Qatar Airways is to buy 49% of Meridiana in a move that could bolster the Italian carrier's ability to compete in the European market. The agreement was reached at the Farnborough Airshow, with the deal closing in early October, subject to certain conditions, Qatar Airways said. The airline gave no further detail on the conditions or the price. Meridiana had asked unions to agree to 900 job cuts -- nearly half its workforce -- as part of a planned partnership with Qatar Airways. Last month, the Italian govt, unions and Meridiana reached an agreement opening the way for the deal to go ahead. The agreement included the loss of about 400 jobs, union officials said. "Partnering with Meridiana would only make Meridiana prosper, grow and actually increase the working population of Meridiana," Qatar Airways CE Akbar al-Baker said in April. <br/>