oneworld is ten: What the CEOs say

03 February 2009

American Airlines Chairman and Chief Executive Gerard Arpey, Chairman of oneworld's Governing Board: oneworld has made an important contribution in helping our partner airlines endure a tumultuous decade while still achieving the best collective profitability of any alliance. 

Our on-going focus on quality will not waver.  While our combined network is unmatched, our focus has always been on quality rather than quantity, on service rather than size.  This is what makes oneworld stand out as an alliance - and that will not change.

The decade to come will bring additional challenges, so we're going to work even harder to make sure oneworld creates value for our member airlines and delivers more services and benefits to our customers - hopefully with the benefit later this year of anti-trust immunity between our transatlantic oneworld partners, enabling us to compete on more equal terms with other alliances.

British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh:  As a founding member of oneworld, British Airways has benefited from 10 successful years as part of the world's premiere airline alliance.  Our customers have access to world-class in-flight products, more airport lounges, an unrivalled global network and connections to hundreds more destinations.

Our commitment to oneworld and its focus on quality rather than quantity will increase the strength of our alliance and deepen our determination to innovate and improve our products and services now and in the future.

Cathay Pacific Airways Chief Executive Tony Tyler:  A lot has happened since Cathay Pacific became one of the founding members of oneworld in 1999. Our airline has grown significantly over the past decade, as has oneworld, and being part of the leading quality alliance has played an important role in enabling us to offer a better product to our customers.

Being a oneworld member has helped Cathay Pacific extend our markets, introduce innovative new products and realise synergies from being in partnership with some of the world's finest airlines.

Looking ahead, our relationship with oneworld will continue to be an integral part of our strategy for future growth and development over the next 10 years and beyond, for both Cathay Pacific and our sister airline Dragonair.

Finnair Chief Executive Jukka Heinonen:  Finnair is proud to be the Nordic dimension of oneworld.  When we were considering our alliance strategy, it was clear that oneworld was the best choice for us.  Quality members and a complementary global network were the deciding factors then.   That decision has proven right.

Our customers have benefited from the network possibilities, lounge access and frequent flyer benefits, and Finnair has gained increased revenue and reduced cost.

We look forward to developing our relations further in the future with our top quality partners from around the world.

Iberia Chairman and Chief Executive Fernando Conte:  Iberia's membership of oneworld has enabled us to enlarge our customer base, extend the coverage of our flight network and offer more and better connections to our passengers.

In times of economic turbulence, oneworld enables us to obtain important savings.  The adoption of best practices in the different disciplines enables us to improve both customer service and the skills and productivity of our employees.

Within oneworld we are creating strong working links between our member airlines, paving the way for the consolidation of the industry which will come sooner or later.

Japan Airlines Group Chief Executive Haruka Nishimatsu:  Japan Airlines proudly became a member of oneworld on 1 April 2007, joining hands with the alliance's other world-class airlines. 

As a member of the alliance, we have been able to strengthen further the quality of our products and services for the benefit of all our customers.  At the same time, our strong market presence in Japan and elsewhere in Asia has enabled us to take a prominent role in oneworld's strategy, and significantly enhance the overall competitiveness of the alliance.  

Together with our oneworld partners, we will build on the successes of the past 10 years to create an even stronger alliance capable of better responding to the changing needs of our valued customers.

LAN Airlines Chief Executive Enrique Cueto:  As the leading airline in Latin America, LAN offers an internationally renowned quality of service. We are proud to represent oneworld in the region by offering clients of the alliance the best option for travel to and from Latin America with an extensive network of connecting flights within the region as well as domestic routes in Argentina, Chile and Peru.  In addition, LAN efficiently unites this region of the world with the United States, Europe and the South Pacific

oneworld has been essential in LAN's strategy, as it enables us to offer our clients the full advantages of a globalised world where traveling has become easier due to a network of the best airlines in the world. Throughout these years, passengers have enjoyed access to important benefits including mileage accumulation and rewards with every airline that is part of the alliance. These benefits have allowed our passengers to enjoy a more comfortable, simple, and efficient travel experience. The alliance has added value to the product we offer our clients and benefited all oneworld members.

We would like to continue strengthening oneworld in the future by integrating the best international airlines, expanding the services offered by the alliance, and positioning LAN in the forefront of the global airline industry.

Malév Hungarian Airlines Chief Executive Peter Leonov:  Malév is very proud to be part of the world's leading quality alliance.  Being part of oneworld enables us to provide our customers with superior access to a truly global network, substantially expanding the destinations we can offer and broadening the scope our services and strengthening Budapest as a hub.

At the same time, it is vital for a medium-sized airline like us to have partners to achieve long-term, sustainable profitability.

Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce:  Qantas, a founding member of oneworld, is proud to be associated with an alliance that has dedicated itself to delivering products of exceptional quality.

While maintaining their commercial independence, all oneworld carriers have strong brands and share a strong commitment to exceptional customer service.  Over the past 10 years, they have been able jointly to enhance their respective product offerings and are now able to deliver a more highly valued global travel proposition to their customers.

The mantra "oneworld revolves around you" clearly demonstrates the importance the alliance and its members place on the customer.

Royal Jordanian Chief Executive Samer Majali:  Royal Jordanian is proud to have been the first airline in the entire Middle Eastern region to have joined any of the global alliances.  We are particularly delighted to be a member of oneworld as it has been named the World's Leading Airline Alliance for the sixth year running in the World's Travel Awards - recognition of the excellent performance and outstanding quality of its airline members.

For Royal Jordanian, membership has created opportunities enabling our airline to reach many more destinations, linking into our partners' networks.

On the tenth anniversary of oneworld's launch, the RJ family wishes on-going success and prosperity to the alliance and its members.         

oneworld Managing Partner John McCulloch:  The results from oneworld's first decade make abundantly clear the growing value the alliance has added to all its key stakeholders.

In an industry where profit margins are thin at best - let alone at times of global economic turbulence - revenues and cost savings from oneworld have made an increasingly important contribution to our member airlines' financial standings.  For frequent, international air travellers - our core target market - alliance services and benefits have fast become a ‘must have', so oneworld's customer offering has never been more important in terms of keeping our member airlines competitive and their customers satisfied.

As we enter our second decade, the alliance's strategy remains the same - focussing on quality rather than quantity and on adding value for our member airlines and their customers.

ends