The first airline alliance founded, the Star Alliance , which is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, was launched on May 14, 1997, and it sought to revolutionize global travel. The organization united carriers from around the globe with the sole intention of improving global connectivity, helping streamline the passenger experience, and bringing the world closer together. In the nearly two decades since the organization was launched, the Star Alliance has amassed 25 different member airlines and operates a combined fleet of over 5,000 aircraft. The Star Alliance has beaten out its two primary rivals, Oneworld and SkyTeam, to both have the largest number of members and affiliates and the largest market share. According to research from Statista, of all the passengers that traveled worldwide in 2024, 17.4% were doing so on a Star Alliance-operated flight. SkyTeam's market share sat at a lower 13.7% and Oneworld's was around 11.9%, both significantly lower than the Star Alliance number. This obviously introduces a rather fascinating question. Why was the Star Alliance able to rapidly become the world's largest airline alliance and maintain its standing today? What decisions has the alliance made that helped it capture significantly more of the market than its competitors? In this article, we will attempt to find the answer to both of these questions, by carefully examining the alliance and its history.<br/>
star
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Jan 27 it is investigating a United Airlines flight on Jan 24 from Lagos, Nigeria to Washington DC, in which a sudden aircraft movement led to injuries of passengers and cabin crew. The NTSB said the incident on United Flight 613 occurred as the Boeing 787 was flying in Ivory Coast airspace. Aviation officials in Ivory Coast delegated the investigation to the NTSB, which will issue a preliminary report within 30 days, the agency said. United said the flight to Washington Dulles in Virginia with 245 passengers, three pilots and eight flight attendants, returned to Lagos after the unexpected aircraft movement and a technical issue. The plane landed safely in Lagos and four passengers and two flight attendants were seen at a hospital for minor injuries and have been released. “We are working with aviation authorities in the US and Nigeria to understand the cause,” United said. <br/>
Lufthansa has announced the launch of free messaging on all long-haul flights to destinations such as the US, Brazil, and Japan. Starting this summer, passengers can send and receive unlimited messages, including photos, through their smartphones or tablets using regular apps, irrespective of their travel class. Lufthansa Group CCO Dieter Vranckx said: “The introduction of free messaging on long-haul flights is another important step in continuously improving our customers’ overall travel experience. “We will continue to focus our efforts on services that are highly relevant to our customers.” Lufthansa Group airlines, including SWISS and Austrian Airlines, also provide free messaging on select long-haul flights. The service, available since 2024 on short and medium-haul flights with Lufthansa and on several Austrian Airlines planes, has been well received, according to the company. Lufthansa Airlines chief customer officer Heiko Reitz said: “What is already a great success on short and medium-haul flights will also be very popular with our guests on long-haul flights<br/>
The Egyptian Ministry of Finance has granted a facility valued at EGP20b to EgyptAir Holding Company to support its air fleet, government officials told Asharq Business. EgyptAir, owned by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, received the funding last December as a part of financing to develop its air fleet. Accordingly, the Ministry of Civil Aviation will pay off this sum within an agreed-upon timeframe. The company seeks to increase the size of its fleet to 125 aircraft over the next five years from 65 aircraft now. This comes as the company awaits receiving the first batch of a deal that includes 18 Boeing 737-8 max aircraft and the purchase of 10 wide-bodied A350-900 aircraft from Airbus.<br/>
China’s three largest operators expect to continue their loss-making streak for 2024, amid a global supply chain crunch, as well as increased domestic competition and slower international recovery. The ‘Big Three’ – comprising Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines – note in their respective earnings guidances that while overall recovery “gained momentum” in 2024, there were “operating pressures” that remained. Air China discloses a net loss forecast of CNY160 to 240m ($22 to 33m), an improvement from the CNY1b net loss in 2023. The Star Alliance carrier says it “made every effort to enhance efficiency” and “strengthened” yield management, which resulted in an improvement in earnings. Yet, it flags “an increasingly complex and volatile” operating environment, and “intensified” competition in its domestic operations. It is a sentiment echoed by compatriot China Eastern, which also saw “insufficient demand” for business trips on top of stiff competition. The Shanghai-based operator is forecasting a net loss of between CNY3.3 and 4.3b, down from 2023’s CNY8.2b net loss. <br/>
Cosmo Energy Holdings said on Monday it will start supplying sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) from April, marking the first supply of domestically produced green fuel. Cosmo, Japan's third-biggest oil refiner, plans to start trial SAF production at its Sakai refinery in Osaka as early as this week, a company spokesperson told Reuters. It is aiming for full-scale production of 30,000 kilolitres per year beginning in April, they added. The refiner, in partnership with two other companies, plans to produce SAF from used cooking oil, marking the first large-scale production in Japan. Cosmo declined to disclose details, including the pricing and volume of SAF it plans to supply to the Japanese airlines.<br/>