Nigeria needs a NATIONAL CARRIER that will be BIG, STRONG, and RELIABLE that can also fly all major routes across the world; especially countries that we have BILATERAL AGREEMENTS with.
That is what Nigerians should be advocating and campaigning for at this time. The likes of Air Peace and others can play a secondary role like Air Peace is currently doing on Lagos-London [Gatwick] route.
No private individual or group in Nigeria currently has the capacity to challenge the One World and Star Alliance groups respectively.
If you hold a ticket of the group’s members, you can fly any of their member airlines on the route you have purchased.
Again, Interlining, also known as interline ticketing and interline booking, is a voluntary commercial agreement between individual airlines to handle passengers travelling on itineraries that require multiple flights on multiple airlines which the big players use in controlling the market.
One World Group Profile:
Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian and Sri-Lankan Airlines, as well as Fiji Airways.
Founded: 1 February 1999
Alliance slogan: Travel Bright
Annual passengers [M]: 490
Destination airports: 1,012
Destination countries: 170
Fleet size: 3,296
Star Alliance Group Profile:
Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Eva Air, Lot Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines.
Founded: 14 May 1997
Alliance slogan: Together. Better. Connected
Destination airports: 1,294
Destination countries: 195
Fleet size: 5,033
Sky Team Group Profile:
Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeroméxico, Air Europa, Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, ITA Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Xiamen Air.
Launch date 22 June 2000.
Full members 19
Destination countries 175
Annual passengers [M] 630
Fleet size 3,054
Alliance slogan Caring more about you
Belonging to one of the three groups requires capacity, good history, and reliability.
Source: African Travel Times Intelligence Unit.