Star Alliance’s chief executive board (CEB) has approved the membership of Air India.
With a joining date set for July 11, the carrier will become the first Indian airline to join the global air alliance.
Air India is reported to add a total of 400 daily flights and 35 new destinations in India to the Alliance network. The biggest growth will come from its domestic market that is currently being served by 13 Star Alliance members flying to 10 cities.
Globally, travellers will further benefit from a broader choice on routes connecting North America, Europe, Asia and Australia via the Indian subcontinent.
The membership application was originally accepted by Star Alliance back in December 2007, but was suspended to allow Air India to focus on its merger with Indian Airlines.
Star Alliance COO, Jeffrey Goh, commented: “We restarted the re-integration with Air India in December last year and just half a year later we are ready to confirm the official joining date.”
The addition of Air India brings Star Alliance's network to 27 member airlines, offering more than 18,500 daily flights serving 1,300 destinations across almost 200 countries.
