• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager
• BL Club
• Smartbuy

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Cross Currency

• Rates
  
  

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources
• In Focus
• In Depth
• Events 2007

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• The Hindu ePaper
• Business Line
• Business Line ePaper
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

Ashwini Phadnis

New Delhi, Sept. 19 The decision of the German airline Lufthansa to buy a stake in Brussels Air will not impact the individual partnerships that the two European airlines have with Air India and Jet Airways respectively.

Earlier this week, Lufthansa agreed to pay up to €250 million for a stake in Brussels Airlines.

Agencies quoted Lufthansa Chief Executive Officer, Mr Wolfgang Mayrhuber, as saying that the purchase was a sign of his company’s transformation from a purely national carrier to a “European airline system” able to compete with Asian and North American carriers.

In May last year, Jet Airways had signed a memorandum of understanding with Brussels Air implementing code share, frequent flyer partnership and through check-in facilities, while Lufthansa has actively been helping Air India become a member of the global airline partnership — Star Alliance.

Jet Airways has also set up its European hub in Brussels.

Officials of Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa and Star Alliance said that the buyout would have no impact on the ties that the Indian carriers have with the European airlines.

“The deal between our airline and Lufthansa has no consequences for our relationship with Jet Airways. The hub concept we developed together will not change.

“We continue to cooperate with the daily services of Jet Airways between Brussels and Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and also on the new Bangalore route which it will start by the end of October,” said Mr Geert Sciot, Vice-President Communication, Brussels Airlines.

Similarly a Lufthansa spokesman said that the airline will continue its cooperation with AI.

“The fact that Lufthansa has taken a stake in Brussels Airlines has no consequence to the partnership of Brussels Airlines with Jet Airways.

“Both Indian carriers serve separately the German (Air India) and the Belgian market (Jet Airways)” said Mr Boris Ogursky, Lufthansa spokesperson.

More Stories on : Airlines | Jet Airways (India) Ltd

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line