Airlines

SriLankan Airlines Set To Join Oneworld

SriLankan_March10

SriLankan Airlines will become a full member of oneworld on May 1 – as the first carrier from the Indian subcontinent to become part of any global airline alliance.

The national airline of Sri Lanka received clearance to board oneworld after successfully completing a review of its readiness conducted by Cathay Pacific Airways, which is sponsoring its entry into the alliance, with the oneworld central team.

Its addition to oneworld will come a month after the alliance welcomes TAM and US Airways on board, on March 31, concluding the group’s biggest yet expansion program.

From the first flights on May 1 May, the 100,000 members of SriLankan’s FlySmiLes loyalty program will, in effect, have their frequent flyer privileges extended to whenever they fly with any oneworld member airline.

These include leading carriers from each global region – fellow Asia-Pacific carriers Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Qantas; Europe’s airberlin, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Russia’s S7 Airlines; Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian, from the Middle East; American Airlines and, from March 31, its merger partner US Airways, from North America; LAN and, also from March 31, TAM from South America; and more than 30 affiliated airlines.