Gulf Air denies BA/Iberia takeover bid
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
Gulf Air has denied reports that it is one of 12 airlines being approached by British Airways and Iberia for a possible merger.
However, the Bahraini carrier’s CEO, Samer Majali, said it would “consider positively” a tie-up with the two European airlines.
“Gulf Air has not been approached regarding this initiative, however it is something the company would consider positively at the appropriate time,” Majali told Meed and The National.
“A central element of our long-term strategy is to join an alliance, and we are actively looking for a suitable partner to support Gulf Air’s business model and add value to the airline and vice versa.”
British Airways is seeking to create the world’s biggest airline group, the International Airlines Group (IAG), following its proposed $7.6 billion merger deal with Spain’s Iberia.
Bahraini carrier Gulf Air is keen to forge a partnership with British Airways and Spain’s
Last week BA CEO Willie Walsh said the airline and Iberia had shortlisted 12 airlines, including one from the Middle East for possible acquisition.
The two carriers are planning a merger and joint venture with American Airlines which would lead to the creation of International Airlines Group (IAG).
The 12 carriers being considered for merger by BA and Iberia, aside from Gulf Air, are said to include Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Air Berlin, India’s Kingfisher Airlines, Chile’s LAN and
Brazil’s TAM.
Speaking at the launch of a code-sharing agreement with India’s Kingfisher last week, Walsh said consolidation was the long-term goal – one that would probably not be completed until he retired for the British airline.
“I have sat down with Iberia and we initially looked at 40 like-minded airlines who believe that the future of the industry lies in consolidation,” he said.
“We have narrowed this down to 12. Becoming the biggest airline group in the world is not a bad ambition to have.”
Comments are closed.