Hogan mulling over Alliance options says Abu Dhabi newspaper

Abu Dhabi newspaper The National has reported today that Etihad boss James Hogan is in talks with the three global alliances with a view to taking the UAE national carrier into one of them.

The move would create a fundamental shift in the Gulf's aviation industry but with a raft of recent interlining and partner deals set up with other airlines it is unlikely that such a move will happen soon.

The respected newspaper reported Hogan, the chief executive of Etihad, as saying his airline would make a "great partner" with either Star Alliance, oneworld or SkyTeam, but he would not rush into taking such far-reaching action.

"We believe we would be a great partner for one of the alliances," Mr Hogan said. "If we get into an alliance, we would represent a very important part of the world which most alliances aren't serving properly today."

Etihad has established code-share partnerships with 31 carriers from around the globe to extend the reach of its network. It would be a natural progression to continue on this path of partnering other airlines and formally join an alliance, said Mr Hogan.

Next year, MEA and Saudi Arabian both plan to join SkyTeam, while Gulf Air is also reportedly looking at alliance options (CEO Samer Majali took his previous airline, Royal Jordanian, into the One World Alliance.. Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc have also been named as likely to go with an international alliance.

EgyptAir and Turkish are part of the Star Alliance.