Sir Richard Branson Comments on Oneworld’s Differing Approach in Its Fight for Japan Airlines

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Virgin Atlantic’s President highlighted what he believes to be the hypocritical approach Oneworld is taking over the possible Japan Airlines and Delta alliance in comparison to the proposed British Airways/American Airlines tie-up.

“Oneworld’s approach to the potential JAL/Delta transpacific alliance is hypocritical in the extreme. BA and AA’s arguments against the JAL/Delta transpacific alliance read like a carbon copy of our longstanding objections to a BA/AA transatlantic alliance. The only difference is that BA/AA poses a far greater competition issue and risk to consumers than JAL/Delta.”

Sir Richard Branson concluded:

“It is not often we can say that we wholeheartedly agree with BA and AA on anti-trust issues, but we agreed with BA’s CEO Willie Walsh last year that Heathrow is full, we agreed with American Airlines’ CFO Tom Horton last month that slot give-ups and route carve-outs are insufficient remedies for an anticompetitive alliance and we continue to agree with American Airlines’ CEO Gerard Arpey that the DOT should not grant anti-trust immunity where there are numerous overlap markets with high market shares.

“If we apply Oneworld’s own JAL/Delta antitrust immunity test to BA/AA it is irrefutably clear BA/AA should be rejected, and rejected outright. Oneworld’s double standards in its fight for Japan Airlines are breathtaking. ”

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