SriLankan Airlines to join oneworld

SriLankan Airlines is getting set to join the oneworld alliance. The airline’s election as a oneworld member designate was announced as the chief executives of the alliance’s member airlines gathered at IATA’s 2012 World Air Transport Summit, which opened in Beijing today. SriLankan is expected to be implemented into oneworld late next year, with Cathay Pacific serving as its sponsor and supporting the airline through its alliance implementation program. SriLankan already codeshares with oneworld member designate Malaysia Airlines — and today announced agreement in principle to codeshare with oneworld partners Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines. SriLankan Airlines operates a fleet of 21 aircraft and carried 3.5 million passengers last year between its Colombo base and 34 destinations in 22 countries across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, including oneworld hubs Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow Domodedovo and Tokyo Narita, along with Bangkok and Singapore. (http://www.oneworld.com)