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American Airlines CEO Gerard Arpey continued his campaign to keep Japan Airlines in the Oneworld alliance Monday, this time from Mexico.
Speaking at a media event in Mexico City to celebrate Mexicana Airways officially joining the alliance, Arpey reiterated that JAL is a "highly valued member of Oneworld."Japan Airlines is struggling financially and is considering investments from either American or Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines. If it enters into a partnership with Delta, JAL will switch from Oneworld to the SkyTeam alliance run by Delta."We are convinced that we can deliver the most meaningful alliance value to JAL — by a wide margin, and without any of the regulatory risk a change in alliance strategy would mean for them, not to mention the financial costs JAL would incur if it changed alliances at such a critical phase in its restructuring," Arpey said.Arpey also said that JAL would be "more likely to realize the benefits of an immunized relationship under a Japan-U.S. open-skies agreement." The U.S. and Japanese governments are negotiating a treaty that would give carriers more freedom in opening routes and choosing the number of flights between Japan and the U.S.He added that the Oneworld alliance has "produced hundreds of millions of dollars of value for [JAL], and we are committed to maintaining and strengthening that partnership."American flies five trips a day to Narita in Japan. Arpey has said that of those five flights, an equivalent of two full airplanes of passengers connect to JAL flights.ANDREA AHLES, 817-390-7631
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