Oneworld CE Rob Gurney touts the sum benefit of the alliance over individual member airline spats when faced with questions over the possible departure of Qatar Airways. "The reality of global alliances is there's not always going to be 100% alignment of strategic interests among the member partners," he said Wednesday. "However, no single airline can offer the customer a completely holistic proposition in terms of network." Interline partnerships among oneworld members generate roughly US$5b in incremental revenue annually, said Gurney putting a number to those network benefits. CE Akbar Al Baker of Qatar Airways first threatened to pull the airline from oneworld in October, calling various other member airlines' competitive moves against the carrier "shenanigans". <br/>
oneworld
A group of 11 senators have called on the US govt to examine whether Qatar Airways’ financial support for Air Italy may violate a commitment by the airline not to conduct fifth freedom flights to the US. In a Dec 3 letter sent to the secretaries of the DoT, Commerce and State, the group of Republican senators expressed concern that Qatar Airways may be subsidising Air Italy—of which it owns a 49% stake—to operate “commercially questionable” daily nonstop services between Milan, Italy, and New York, as well as 4X-weekly services between Milan and Miami, Florida. The lawmakers said Air Italy’s entry into the “crowded market appears consistent with Qatar Airways’ pattern of adding subsidised capacity in markets where demand is already served.” <br/>
American Airlines is closely "studying" online retailer Amazon's plans to open a second headquarters steps away from its hub at Ronald Reagan Washington National, where it is already planning to add seats at the slot-controlled facility. "We absolutely plan to up-gauge at DCA," the carrier's VP of network Vasu Raja said. American is "studying" Amazon's decision to establish a new second headquarters in the Crystal City neighbourhood of Arlington, Virginia, adjacent to National airport, he says, adding that they are looking at how it will impact growth plans "very closely". Extensive air service links, both domestic and international, were among the key criteria for Amazon in selecting the locations. American has significant opportunity to up-gauge flights, or shift them to larger aircraft, at Washington National. <br/>