Swiss, Iberia : "we want a merge with BA"

Swiss International Air Lines accepted an invitation to join the oneworld alliance at Zurich on Tuesday, 23 September 2003.

SWISS was formally voted on-board as the ninth carrier in the leading international airline grouping after signing with founding oneworld member British Airways a memorandum of understanding to establish a wide-ranging commercial agreement

This complements cooperative links established during the past year with virtually all of the alliance’s other partners. These include an extensive marketing alliance with American Airlines, covered by US anti-trust immunity, and code-sharing and/or frequent flyer links with Aer Lingus, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qantas.

Work will now begin on the necessary preparations for SWISS to be a fully-fledged part of oneworld. Connecting its IT systems to those of its new partners, training its employees to deliver oneworld products and customer support and the other necessary tasks will take several months to complete. From then, the airline will start offering oneworld services and benefits. This is expected to be during the early part of 2004.

Check back with oneworld.com often for more details on the SWISS integration. Details will be communicated as they develop.

Iberia-Swiss-BA merge is possible

Iberia outlined its prospects for growth and its strategy to remian a major airline in Europe at the Managment team confrence in Seville, Spain. Senior officials from new oneworld carrier Swiss, BA and Lan Chile also attended the three-day summit. “We want to take steps that will ensure our survival and stable growth” said the Airline Spokesmen Carlos Mundough. In a press confrence prior to the main confrence an Austrlian reporter asked if a merger was on the cards. Mr Mundough replied “It is a possible route and step tro take in the Long term, and obviousley, the airline’s we will be most flexible in are British and Swiss Airlines”.

– Annova

Possible names? – BSI has been widley rumored the proposed brand. (Britsh Swiss Iberia), others include European Airways Group and Air Europe Iberia, Air Europe British, Air Europe Swiss.

Personally i think its a mad proposal! that would be bigger than American!