The Hindu Business Line : `Air Canada open to tie-up with AI'

OPEN TO A-I TIE-UP: Mr Robert Milton, Chairman, President and CEO, ACE Aviation Holdings Inc, at a press conference in the Capital on Thursday. - Kamal Narang

New Delhi , Oct. 14

AIR Canada, which considers India as an important market is open to having a tie-up with Air India (AI), the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, ACE Aviation Holdings Inc (ACE), Mr Robert Milton, said on Thursday.

"I am completely open as long as it is a Star Alliance (the global airline tie-up) alignment. We are neither giving nor seeking a proposal but if AI wanted to have a code-share we can examine it," the ACE CEO said when questioned on whether the airline was looking at a tie-up with AI.

ACE is now the parent holding company under which the reorganised Air Canada and separate legal entities are held.

Air Canada and the German airline Lufthansa are among the global airlines, which have come together to form the Star Alliance grouping.

Lufthansa recently signed a strategic alliance agreement with AI, which should help both the airlines improve their market leadership position on the India-Europe-US route.

Commenting on Air Canada starting operations to more destinations in India, Mr Milton said that "in time" the airline would like to operate flights to Mumbai but added that it was highly "improbable" that the new service would start before 2006.

The airline at present operates non-stop on the Toronto-Delhi-Toronto route.

Besides, the airline was likely to look at expanding into markets such as Chennai and Bangalore through some sort of a tie-up with Lufthansa, Mr Milton said.