Jet Airways becomes first Indian carrier to join up with AACO

India's Jet Airways, has become the first Indian carrier to join Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) as a partner airline.

In an announcement from Beirut this morning AACO said the partnership will provide the Arab airline members of AACO and Jet Airways with opportunities of creating synergies through the various joint projects under AACO, in areas such as fuel management, ground services, safety initiatives, and training.

Abdul Wahab Teffaha, secretary general of AACO said: “AACO was able to develop during the past years a strong presence amongst associations through the establishment of joint projects, which help member airlines to achieve better economies of scale and scope. Jet Airways is a formidable airline with very high quality of service and expanding global network based in one of the most vibrant and promising markets of the world. The synergies of the cooperation between Arab airlines and Jet Airways will open new horizons for the parties concerned.”

For Jet Airways, the growing presence of the airline in the Middle East countries was the driver. Speaking in Mumbai as the announcement was made. Chief executive of the airline, Nikos Kardassis, said “The opportunity to partner with AACO is an important one. This organisation is strategic to our continued success in this region.”

AACO has 25 full 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, Oman Air, Palestinian Airways, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Sudan Airways, Syrian Arab Airlines, Trans Mediterranean Airways, Tunisair, Yemen Airways. Overall, AACO Member Airlines offers 2,714 daily flights to 300 airports in 97 countries.