SriLankan Airlines will become the latest carrier to join the oneworld alliance, with airline to be inducted from late 2013.
The Colombo based carrier, which operates 21 aircraft and carried 3.5 million passengers last year, said that it chose to join oneworld after reviewing a range of alliance options.
“Joining the alliance will help put SriLankan more firmly on the global aviation map and vastly improve Sri Lanka’s connections with the rest of the world, with all that means for our country’s vital tourism industry,” said SriLankan Airlines chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe.
Cathay Pacific will act as the sponsor airline for SriLankan’s transition into oneworld. The alliance is also in the process of integrating Malaysia Airlines, which has been sponsored by Qantas.
SriLankan’s network includes a large focus on southern Indian cities that will help bolster oneworld’s exposure through the Indian Subcontinent, particularly since Indian airline Kingfisher deferred its plans to join the alliance due to its poor financial state.
