Fiji Airways will transition from being the Oneworld Alliance\u2019s connecting partner to its 15th full member carrier.<\/p>\n
The carrier, which joined the Oneworld Connect programme in 2018 as its first member, is expected to complete the transition by the middle of 2025.\u00a0Oneworld chief executive Nat Pieper says the addition of Fiji Airways \u201cwill strengthen our position as the premier airline alliance for international global travellers\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a Oneworld briefing during the IATA AGM in Dubai, Fiji Airways chief executive Andre Viljoen says: \u201cWhile we have been a Oneworld Connect member since 2018, attaining full membership has always been our goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The addition of Fiji Airways comes as the alliance \u2013 which is celebrating its 25th anniversary \u2013 prepares to induct Oman Air as its newest member this year. The Muscat-based carrier will also be Oneworld\u2019s third Middle Eastern member carrier, following Qatar Airways, as well as Royal Jordanian Airlines.<\/p>\n
The alliance also inducted Alaska Airlines in 2021, while Royal Air Maroc became its first African member when it joined in 2020.<\/p>\n
Asked at the briefing if Oneworld is looking to continue adding members, Pieper points out that while the alliance is \u201ctalking to everyone\u201d, it is focused on \u201cquality versus quantity\u201d of membership.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve grown from four members [25 years ago] to 15 members now, and we still have white spaces [in the network]. One way to fill those white spaces is to attract new carriers. The other way to fill those white spaces is to see if our existing members can cover that by adding flights by reallocating flights,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Pieper says the alliance\u2019s \u201cpreference\u201d would be \u201cto do more\u201d with its members.<\/p>\n
\u201c[We] focus more on quality versus quantity, and so we won\u2019t just go grab an airline that covers a big white space unless they have standards from a product perspective and meet the strong foundation that we\u2019ve built here today,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
Pieper says the alliance\u2019s \u201cpreference\u201d would be \u201cto do more\u201d with its members.<\/p>\n