The Oneworld global airline alliance is expecting 2025 to be a big year with the addition of two new full airline members joining the international airline partnership. The alliance is also due to see more branded airline lounges open across its partnership network as well as more airlines expressing their desire to join the alliance in the future.
2024 marked the 25th year since Oneworld was founded in 1999 by founding partners American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas. These airlines have since been joined by Alaska Airlines, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, and Sri Lankan Airlines.
The next airline scheduled to join Oneworld will be Muscat-based Oman Air in the second quarter of 2025. The airline is expected to become the 14th full member of the alliance on June 30, 2025, according to Oneworld sources. The carrier is undergoing a period of expansion itself with two new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners joining the fleet in 2024, with a possible return of flights to Singapore also being mooted by the carrier.
Future Oneworld bedfellow Qantas has already established a partnership with Oman Air in advance of the Middle Eastern carrier joining Oneworld. This will give both carriers advantages through codeshare links across their respective geographical regions and route networks.
Following the addition of Oman Air, the 15th airline set to join Oneworld will be Fiji Airways in late 2025. The South Pacific carrier has been a Oneworld Connect member for the past five years in which time it has already developed partnerships with various current Oneworld partner airlines. These relationships have been key to Fiji Airways’ securing its transition to full member status and its subsequent integration, the process of which will start immediately and will be completed “within the next twelve months,” according to a Oneworld statement issued back in June 2024.
Based at Nadi International Airport (NAN), Fiji Airways currently serves 26 destinations in 15 countries and territories globally, including the oneworld hubs at Sydney (SYD), Hong Kong (HKG), Los Angeles (LAX), and Tokyo (HND). Having first flown 73 years ago in 1951, the company now operates a fleet of aircraft comprising Airbus A350-900s (four), Airbus A330-200s (three), A330-300 (one), Boeing 737-800 (one) and 737 MAX 8 (five)…
