Arabesk (airline alliance)

Arabesk Network Cooperation Project
Company typeNetwork alignment project
IndustryAviation
Founded2006

Arabesk Network Cooperation Project was a "network alignment project", an unofficial and non-binding airline alliance, comprising members of Arab Air Carriers' Organization (AACO).

This network alignment group was founded in 2006, after a year of preparation with technical assistance from Sabre Airline Solutions, by the following airlines:[1]

Airline Notes
Egypt EgyptAir A Star Alliance member
United Arab Emirates Etihad Airways
Bahrain Gulf Air
Lebanon Middle East Airlines A SkyTeam member
Jordan Royal Jordanian A oneworld member
Saudi Arabia Saudia A SkyTeam member
Syria Syrian Air
Tunisia Tunisair
Yemen Yemenia

In 2007, Etihad Airways and Syrian Air joined the alliance.[2]

The project aimed to boost market share and coordinate schedules, reduce duplication on routes and link the destinations network of its members, which stretched from North America to East Asia.[3] At that time, Arab airline operators were generally not included in the major airline alliances, partly because of their relatively small market share.[4]

As well as coordinating schedules, the Arabesk carriers consolidated joint fuel purchasing under the AACO umbrella, and other supplies.[4] Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary General of AACO, explained, “This is not an airline alliance, but a unique grouping of carriers from a single region designed to help members realise better commercial potential, through schedule coordination.”[5]

The project continued until the end of the decade.[6]

  1. ^ Aviation Week, Mar 10, 2006:"Middle East Airlines finalize Arabesk Alliance". Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  2. ^ AACO, 23 October 2007."Etihad Airways and Syrian Arab Airlines join "Arabesk"". Archived from the original on 2009-03-28. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  3. ^ Gulf News (10 October 2005). "Arab airline alliance planned". Zawya. Archived from the original on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Arabesk makes airlines' ops more efficient". Aviation International News. 7 December 2006. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  5. ^ AACO, 10 February 2006."Founder Airlines of Arabesk sign Articles of Co-operation". Archived from the original on 2007-06-25. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  6. ^ Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO),"Joint projects". Archived from the original on 2010-10-23. Retrieved 2008-07-17.