Air India hasnt made it into *A :(
 

From the Star Alliance website:

NEW DELHI, India - July 31st, 2011 - The member airlines of the Star Alliance network and Air India have jointly concluded that the integration of Air India into the global airline alliance will be suspended. This is due to the fact that Air India has not met the minimum joining conditions that were contractually agreed in December 2007.

Following a recent review of the status of Air India's application at a meeting held between the Indian Ministry for Civil Aviation, Star Alliance CEO, Jaan Albrecht and the Air India CMD, Arvind Jadhav, the decision to suspend has received subsequent confirmation by the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board.

Star Alliance CEO, Jaan Albrecht said: "With the collective decision to put the integration efforts on hold today we aim to contribute to Air India's flexibility to concentrate on its ongoing strategic reorientation. In this process our member carriers will continue to provide assistance to Air India wherever required."

Existing bilateral relationships with Star Alliance member airlines are not affected by this decision, which also leaves room to discuss a potential Alliance membership at a future stage, if deemed appropriate by both parties

What requirements did it fail on?

Not sure, but it's rather good news!

Well, not good for Air India, but good news for us, as it somehow prooves that *A actually does have standards, something which was put in perspective with the recent admissions of TAM or event worst Shenzen Airlines (not to mention AirChina and Shanghai Airlines in their time).

Nothing against those airlines in particular as long as they up their game to par, which clearly none of the chinese airlines have been doing so far. Anyone who flew with those will understand my point of view.

Admission in *A should suggest and guarantee that all airlines mantain a certain level of quality in all their procedures and products, not a lowering of the standard average which has occured with the recent admissions.

*A said they suspended AI's admission into *A, however AI still has the possibility of join *A in the future, this means that 9W still does not have the rights to join *A; until *A officially rejects AI from joining the alliance.

This is bad news for AI but then what do you expect; salaries are not paid for months and financial problems in the airline.
I heard from another forum that *A choice for an indian airline is AI or nothing. It's a good thing that OW quickly took IT.

But we can still dream about 9W joining *A, how nice would this be?

Air India, don't worry, SkyTeam will take you!

Yeah ST has no moral ground. if you want to join they will kiss you hug you and love you.

This is definitely good news!

I disagree.

Especially this year - CA's hard and soft products in Europe-China C has consistently exceeded LH.

This would have to fall under the category of "cruel but funny"

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...4d5c8e5cb4.981

At the end of the article they quote Kapil Kaul, from global consultancy the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA) in New Delhi as saying :

"It has a significant downside to it [for Star Alliance] because by the time they decide to induct another partner, possibly Jet Airways, I'm not very sure whether they will get the regulatory clearance from the government," he said.

"For Air India, there can't be any downside, as they can't go any further down."

Fair enough. That might be, but an airline is more than just its C product.

I can't vouch for the accuracy of this story, but if it is true it is very interesting

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/bus...ce_571869.html


Of the 27 member airlines at Star Alliance, 25 voted against AI in July when the airline was due to join the global network.



This was also a pretty staggering figure

With 31,000 employees on-board, AI's aircraft-to-employee ratio is 1:280, which is unheard of in any international airline.

very happy about that!:cool:

At least some Airlines have some sense, AI joining *A is like a virus entering the body. The only reason why AI is trying to join *A is so that it could leech some of the perks of the alliance; creating AI to exit the financial problems. Either way AI needs an alliance to help itself. (I may sound negative but it's kinda true)

So who were the two that agree with AI's entry?