Originally Posted by jacob_m
There is currently not a single Star Alliance member based in the Middle East.
Most other continents are already fairly well covered already, like Europe (LH, BD, SK, OS), North America (UA, US, AC), and Asia (TG, SQ, OZ, NH).
So one of the major airlines from the Middle East would be great.
For example Emirates, Gulf air, or Qatar Airways.
All those airlines are quality, full service carriers with good coverage of the region in terms of destinations.
It would be a good complement to the current network.
In middle East, the most probable member is QR, because of several clues:
- complete FFP affiliation with LH
- code-sharing with LH (muc-doh & vv., fra-doh & vv.)
- code-sharing with ANA (bkk.doh & vv.) and complete FFP affiliation
- code-sharing with TG (doh-bkk and vv.)
- code-sharing with BD
- no other CS with OW or "Scary" Team.
- in FRA, QR moved to T1, usually reserved (except AZ) to LH & its partners.
EK is not very probably due to Scheik's way-of-thinking but also considering the EK-SQ ending FFP affiliation.
About dragonair, i don't really fancy this scenario, even considering the strong tie-up with CX.
The most probable (as regional member) is Silkair, sponsored by SQ: that seems to be possible.
Regarding VS, i'd like very much, but as we discuss several times, there are 2 problems:
1) Mr. Branson
2) neither LH or SK have a stake in VS, so i think they will not consider interesting the matter.
My two cents.