International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways and Iberia, has joined the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) as partner airline. The partnership will provide the Arab airline members of AACO and IAG a platform from which to strengthen their relationships.
IAG Chief Executive Willie Walsh said: “We are delighted to join AACO. Our airlines fly to numerous destinations in the Middle East and North Africa and this is an important step to develop links with Arab airlines in those markets”.
Mr. Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary General of AACO said: “IAG is a magnificent group of airlines and plays an important role in creating a role model for airline partnerships. IAG constituents have long and well established ties with Arab airlines and we are proud in AACO to move this partnership with our member airlines to a new level of regional cooperation”.
About AACO
The Arab Air Carriers Organization “AACO”, established in 1965 within the framework of the Arab League of States, is the Regional Association of the Arab Airlines who have their home base in country members of the Arab League, serves the Arab airlines, represent & defend their common interests regionally & globally, through creating joint frameworks that aims at developing economic and safe operations of its members. AACO has 27 Member airlines: Air Arabia, Afriqiyah Airways, Air Algerie, Air Cairo, EgyptAir, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Felix Airways, Gulf Air, Iraqi Airways, Jordan Aviation, Kuwait Airways, Libyan Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Nouvelair, Oman Air, Palestinian Airways, Qatar Airways, Rotana Jet Aviation, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Sudan Airways, Syrian Arab Airlines, Trans Mediterranean Airways, Tunisair, Yemen Airways. Overall, AACO Member Airlines offers 2,873 daily flights to 356 airports in 107 countries.
About IAG
International Airlines Group is one of the world's largest airline groups with 398 aircraft flying to 200 destinations and carrying more than 50 million passengers each year. It is the third largest group in Europe and the sixth largest in the world, based on revenue. Formed in January 2011, IAG is the parent company of British Airways and Iberia. It is a Spanish registered company with shares traded on the London Stock Exchange and Spanish Stock Exchanges. The corporate head office for IAG is in London, UK. IAG combines the leading airlines in the UK and Spain, enabling them to enhance their presence in the aviation market while retaining their individual brands and current operations. The airlines' customers benefit from a larger combined network for both passengers and cargo and a greater ability to invest in new products and services through improved financial robustness. The airline industry is moving gradually towards consolidation though some regulatory restrictions still prevail. IAG's mission is to play its full role in future industry consolidation both on a regional and global scale. British Airways and Iberia are members of the oneworld alliance.