ONEWORLD, the global airline alliance led by American Airlines Group Inc. and British Airways, is in discussions about bringing China Southern Airlines Co. into its ranks, according to sources familiar with the matter.

China Southern is the nation’s largest airline with dual hubs in the capital Beijing and the southern city of Guangzhou, where it is headquartered.

Bringing China Southern into the Oneworld alliance could provide other member airlines with valuable access to what prior to COVID was one of the world’s fastest growing aviation markets, the sources said.

China Southern has been forging ties with a number of carriers, several of them Oneworld members, after it announced its split from rival grouping SkyTeam in 2018. SkyTeam counts Delta Air Lines Inc. as a key member. American Airlines and Qatar Airways both hold stakes of around 5% each in China Southern, which also has an extensive commercial partnership with British Airways and a codeshare agreement with Finnair Oyj.

British Airways and American Airlines have been the most vocal and active carriers pushing to convince fellow Oneworld members of the benefits of China Southern’s membership, although no formal application has been made, some of the sources said. Any final decision will rest with the Chinese carrier.

One complicating factor around the talks has been China’s Covid zero policy, which has meant executives from the airlines and the alliance haven’t been able to go to China for face-to-face discussions with China Southern management, one of the sources said.

(SD-Agencies)