Southwest explores partnership with China Airlines
NEW DELHI, India -- Southwest Airlines is discussing an interline agreement with Taiwan's China Airlines.
The carriers hope to launch the partnership early next year, with interline flight sales beginning late this year.
Executives of the two carriers met to discuss the potential tie-up at the IATA Annual General meeting here.
The partnership, should it come to fruition, would be the second for Southwest since it began searching for airline partners as part of an ongoing commercial transformation. Southwest began interlining with Icelandair in February.
Other key elements of the transformation include Southwest's recent imposition of bag fees as well as ongoing aircraft retrofits that will enable the airline to introduce an extra-legroom product and do assigned seating.
State-owned China Airlines flies to five U.S. destinations: Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York JFK and Ontario, Calif. From its hub in Taipei, the carrier flies to 33 Asian destinations. It's significantly smaller in size than other East Asia carriers, including Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air and others.
Mainland China's three large airlines are also much bigger, though connectivity between those airlines and the U.S. is limited by the strict U.S.-China aviation agreement.
In a statement, Southwest CEO Andrew Watterson said a partnership with China Airlines would offer customers seamless transpacific journeys across the Southwest network.
Southwest is attending IATA's annual meeting for the first time, after joining the trade group earlier this year.
"We've found great interest globally in potential partnerships with Southwest and continue discussions here in New Delhi with several like-minded carriers," Watterson said.
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