Oneworld facts for kids
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Launch date | 1 February 1999 |
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Full members | 13 |
Non-voting members | 14 affiliates |
Pending members | 2 |
Destination airports | 1,012 |
Destination countries | 170 |
Annual passengers (M) | 490 |
Fleet size | 3,296 |
Headquarters |
List of headquarters
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Management | |
Alliance slogan | Travel Bright |
Website |
Oneworld (also written as oneworld) is a big group of airlines that work together. It's called an airline alliance. There are 13 main airlines in this group.
Oneworld started on February 1, 1999. Its main goal is to be the best choice for people who travel a lot internationally. Since December 2022, its main office has been in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States.
The airlines that are part of Oneworld include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, and SriLankan Airlines. Fiji Airways is also a special "Oneworld Connect" partner. Oman Air plans to join the group by 2024.
As of March 2020, all the airlines in Oneworld have 3,296 airplanes. They fly to about 1,000 airports in 170 countries. They carry over 490 million passengers each year, with more than 13,000 flights every day. Oneworld is the third-largest airline alliance in the world.
Contents
How Oneworld is Managed
Oneworld set up a special team called the Oneworld Management Company (oMC) in February 2000. This team helps the alliance grow and create new services for travelers. The oMC first started in Vancouver, Canada, and then moved to New York City in 2011.
The oMC is led by a CEO. This CEO reports to the Oneworld Governing Board. The Governing Board is made up of the leaders of each member airline. They meet regularly to decide the future plans for Oneworld.
Where Oneworld's Main Office Is
In 2011, Oneworld's main office moved from Vancouver, Canada, to New York City, USA. It shared space with some of its member airlines.
In December 2022, the Oneworld office moved again. It is now in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. This is the same city where American Airlines, one of its founding members, has its main office.
Oneworld's History
Starting a New Global Alliance

Oneworld was first announced in London, United Kingdom, on September 21, 1998. The airlines that started it were American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines International, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas. Oneworld officially began flying on February 1, 1999.
The alliance wanted to offer travelers many benefits, such as:
- Easier connections when flying with different member airlines.
- More help for passengers, no matter which member airline they were flying with.
- More choices for special "round-the-world" tickets.
- Better rewards for frequent flyers.
- Access to more airport lounges around the world.
- More flights and connections between member airlines.
Before starting, Oneworld trained about 220,000 staff members. This was to make sure everyone could deliver on the alliance's promises. When it launched in 1999, Oneworld airlines flew to 648 places in 139 countries. They carried 181 million passengers with 1,577 airplanes.
First New Airlines Join

Finnair from Finland was the first new airline to join Oneworld on December 9, 1999. Then, Iberia from Spain joined on February 15, 1999. Both airlines became full members on September 1, 1999. They added over 50 new places to the Oneworld network.
On May 19, 1999, LAN Chile from Latin America decided to join. Its smaller airlines, LAN Express and LAN Perú, also joined. Aer Lingus from Ireland became the ninth member on December 2, 1999. LAN Chile and Aer Lingus joined on June 1, 2000. However, Canadian Airlines International left the group. This happened because Air Canada, which is part of a different alliance called Star Alliance, bought Canadian Airlines.
Swiss International Air Lines (Swiss) was invited to join Oneworld in September 2003. But Swiss later decided not to join. It was bought by Lufthansa in 2005 and joined the Star Alliance instead.
Big Growth from 2005 to 2006

The mid-2000s were a time of big growth for Oneworld. Malév from Hungary and Royal Jordanian from the Middle East decided to join in 2005. Royal Jordanian was the first airline from the Middle East to join any global airline alliance.
Japan Airlines, a very large airline group in Asia, also applied to join in October 2005. They officially accepted the invitation in June 2006. Five smaller airlines from the JAL Group also joined as partners.

All three of these airline groups—Japan Airlines, Malév, and Royal Jordanian—became full members on April 1, 2007. This made the Oneworld network much bigger. It now covered almost 700 airports in nearly 150 countries. They had 9,000 flights daily and carried about 315 million passengers each year.
On the same day, Aer Lingus chose to leave Oneworld. They wanted to become a low-cost airline, which didn't fit with Oneworld's focus on international travelers.
In February 2012, Malév stopped all flights because of money problems. It left Oneworld when the airline closed down.
Celebrating Ten Years in 2009

In February 2009, Oneworld celebrated its tenth birthday. It had grown from 5 to 10 member airlines. Over ten years, its airlines had carried 2.5 billion passengers.
To celebrate, Oneworld put a new logo on about 40 of its airplanes. This new logo had the alliance name in big letters and the Oneworld symbol. It also had a special "10 years" watermark on its logo.
New Airlines Join from 2009 to 2011

On May 26, 2009, S7 Airlines from Russia joined Oneworld. It became a full member on November 15, 2010. This added many new cities in Russia to the Oneworld network.
On November 10, 2009, Mexicana from Mexico also joined. Mexicana added 26 new places to the alliance map. However, Mexicana stopped all flights on August 28, 2010, because of money problems. It has not been an active member since then.

Kingfisher Airlines from India planned to join in February 2010. But its entry was put on hold because of financial issues. Kingfisher Airlines stopped flying in February 2013.
On March 20, 2012, Air Berlin, a large airline from Germany, joined Oneworld.
Malaysia Airlines became a new member on February 1, 2013.
More Growth from 2012 to Today

On June 11, 2012, SriLankan Airlines from Sri Lanka decided to join Oneworld. It became a full member on May 1, 2014. This made it the first airline from the Indian subcontinent to join any alliance.
On October 8, 2012, Qatar Airways also decided to join Oneworld. Qatar Airways was growing very fast and had won awards for being a top airline. It was a big win for Oneworld because Qatar Airways was the first major airline from the Persian Gulf region to join a global alliance. It joined on October 30, 2013.
In February 2013, American Airlines and US Airways planned to merge. After the merger, US Airways left Star Alliance and joined Oneworld as a partner on March 31, 2014.
On March 7, 2013, LATAM Airlines Group chose Oneworld as its alliance. Some of its airlines, like LAN Colombia and TAM Airlines, joined Oneworld. LAN Colombia joined on October 1, 2013. TAM Airlines joined on March 31, 2014.
On August 15, 2017, Air Berlin stopped flying because of money problems. It left Oneworld on October 28, 2017.
On June 1, 2018, Oneworld started a new type of membership called Oneworld Connect. Fiji Airways was the first airline to join as a Connect partner on December 5, 2018.
On December 5, 2018, Royal Air Maroc from Africa decided to join Oneworld. It became a member on April 1, 2020, adding more flights in Africa.
On September 26, 2019, Delta Air Lines, which is part of the SkyTeam alliance, bought a part of LATAM. Because of this, LATAM Airlines Group left Oneworld on May 1, 2020.

On March 31, 2021, Alaska Airlines and its partner airlines joined Oneworld.
On June 20, 2022, Oman Air signed an agreement to join Oneworld by 2024.
In August 2023, MIAT Mongolian Airlines announced it would join as a Oneworld Connect member.
On December 3, 2023, Alaska Air Group announced plans to buy Hawaiian Airlines. If approved, Hawaiian Airlines will also become a Oneworld member.
Partner Airlines
Besides its main member airlines, Oneworld also has about 30 "affiliate" members. These are usually smaller, regional airlines that work closely with the main members. They help make the Oneworld network even bigger.
Some airlines have joined and then left Oneworld over the years. For example, Air Liberté and Regional Air were once partners with British Airways but later left. BA Connect and BMED also left when British Airways changed its plans.
Dragonair, a partner of Cathay Pacific, joined Oneworld in November 2007. It later became Cathay Dragon and then merged with Cathay Pacific in 2020.
Other airlines like GB Airways and Loganair also left Oneworld as British Airways changed its partnerships. Japan Asia Airways merged with Japan Airlines and left the alliance.
Member Airlines Today
Main Members and Their Partners
Member airline | Joined | Member affiliates |
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31 March 2021 | ![]() ![]() |
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1 February 1999 | ![]() |
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1 February 1999 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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1 February 1999 | — |
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1 September 1999 | ![]() |
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1 September 1999 | ![]() ![]() |
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1 April 2007 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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1 February 2013 | — |
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1 February 1999 | ![]() |
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30 October 2013 | — |
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1 April 2020 | ![]() |
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1 April 2007 | — |
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1 May 2014 | — |
- Founding member
- On routes operated on behalf of Alaska Airlines as Alaska SkyWest only
- American Eagle flights are operated by Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines, Air Wisconsin, Republic Airways and SkyWest Airlines.
- Independently operated franchise carriers using the British Airways name, livery and flight code
- On routes operated on behalf of Finnair only
- Iberia Regional flights are operated by Air Nostrum
- QantasLink flights are operated by Alliance Airlines, Eastern Australia Airlines, National Jet Systems, Network Aviation and Sunstate Airlines. Alliance Airlines routes only count if they are operated for QantasLink.
Connect Partners
Connect partner | Joined | Connect partner affiliates |
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3 June 2018 | — |
Future Members
Future member | Joining | Future member affiliates |
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2024 | — |
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2024 | — |
Suspended Members
Suspended member airline | Joined | Suspended | Member affiliates | Remarks |
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15 November 2010 | 19 April 2022 | Stopped being active because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. |
Past Members
Former member airline | Joined | Exited | Member affiliates | Remarks |
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1 June 2000 | 31 March 2007 | — | Left the alliance in 2007 to change its business strategy. |
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20 March 2012 | 28 October 2017 | ![]() ![]() |
Stopped flying on October 28, 2017. |
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1 February 1999 | 1 June 2000 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Founding member; was bought by Air Canada, a Star Alliance member. |
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1 June 2000 | 1 May 2020 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Left the alliance after Delta Air Lines, a SkyTeam member, bought a part of it. |
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29 March 2007 | 3 February 2012 | — | Left the alliance after it had financial problems and closed. |
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10 November 2009 | 28 August 2010 | ![]() ![]() |
Stopped flying on August 28, 2010, due to financial problems. |
Benefits for Travelers
Main Airports (Hubs)
Members | Hubs | Focus cities |
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Alaska Airlines | Anchorage Los Angeles Portland (OR) San Francisco Seattle/Tacoma |
Boise San Diego San Jose (CA) |
American Airlines | Charlotte Chicago–O'Hare Dallas/Fort Worth Los Angeles Miami New York–JFK New York–LaGuardia Philadelphia Phoenix–Sky Harbor Washington–National |
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British Airways | London–Gatwick London–Heathrow |
London–City |
Cathay Pacific | Hong Kong | Taipei–Taoyuan Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi |
Finnair | Helsinki | Stockholm-Arlanda |
Iberia | Madrid | Barcelona |
Japan Airlines | Tokyo–Haneda Tokyo–Narita Osaka–Kansai Osaka–Itami |
Fukuoka Nagoya–Centrair Naha Sapporo–Chitose |
Malaysia Airlines | Kuala Lumpur–International Kota Kinabalu Kuching Penang |
|
Qantas | Adelaide Brisbane Melbourne Sydney Perth |
Cairns Darwin Los Angeles Singapore |
Qatar Airways | Doha | |
Royal Air Maroc | Casablanca | Marrakesh Tangier |
Royal Jordanian | Amman–Queen Alia | Aqaba |
SriLankan Airlines | Colombo–Bandaranaike |
Sharing Airport Spaces
Oneworld airlines often share ticket counters, check-in areas, and lounges at airports. This makes it easier for travelers to connect between different Oneworld flights. It also means better facilities for everyone. They do this at about 50 airports worldwide.
City | Country | Airport | IATA | Terminals | Exceptions | When it started |
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Bangkok | Thailand | Suvarnabhumi Airport | BKK | West Wing | September 28, 2006 | |
Barcelona | Spain | Barcelona Airport | BCN | 1 | September 1, 2009 | |
Beijing | China | Beijing Capital International Airport | PEK | 3 | American Airlines and SriLankan Airlines in Terminal 2 British Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, and S7 Airlines at Beijing Daxing International Airport Finnair partially at Beijing Daxing International Airport |
March 26, 2008 |
Chicago | United States | O'Hare International Airport | ORD | 3 & 5 | June 26, 2009 | |
Dallas/Fort Worth | United States | Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport | DFW | A, B, C & D (all international flights) | American Airlines partially in Terminal E | June 26, 2009 |
Dubai | UAE | Dubai International Airport | DXB | 1 | July 11, 2009 | |
Frankfurt | Germany | Frankfurt Airport | FRA | 2 | April 2009 | |
Guangzhou | China | Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport | CAN | 1 | Japan Airlines in Terminal 2 | April 26, 2018 |
Helsinki | Finland | Helsinki-Vantaa Airport | HEL | 2 | August 5, 2009 | |
Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Hong Kong International Airport | HKG | 1 | July 11, 2009 | |
London | England, UK | London Heathrow Airport | LHR | 3 & 5 | Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Royal Air Maroc in Terminal 4 | October 29, 2009 |
Los Angeles | United States | Los Angeles International Airport | LAX | 4 & Tom Bradley International | American Airlines partially in Terminal 5 | June 30, 2009 |
Madrid | Spain | Madrid-Barajas Airport | MAD | 4 | February 5, 2006 | |
Manchester | England, UK | Manchester Ringway International Airport | MAN | 3 (British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia) | Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways in Terminal 2
Finnair and Aer Lingus in Terminal 1 |
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Mexico City | Mexico | Mexico City International Airport | MEX | 1 | June 26, 2009 | |
Miami | United States | Miami International Airport | MIA | Concourse D and E | March 2011 | |
Moscow | Russia | Sheremetyevo International Airport | SVO | British Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways | ||
New York City | United States | John F. Kennedy International Airport | JFK | 8 | AA also has many domestic flights from LGA airport. Japan Airlines and Royal Air Maroc operated from Terminal 1 | June 2019 |
Philadelphia | United States | Philadelphia International Airport | PHL | A (all international flights), B, C & F | ||
Phoenix | United States | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | PHX | 4 | February 26, 2014 | |
San Francisco | United States | San Francisco International Airport | SFO | 2 & International | American Airlines partially in Terminal 1 | June 30, 2009 |
Shanghai | China | Shanghai Pudong International Airport | PVG | 2 | Japan Airlines, Qantas, and SriLankan Airlines in Terminal 1 | March 29, 2009 |
Singapore | Singapore | Singapore Changi Airport | SIN | 1 | Malaysia Airlines in Terminal 2 Qatar Airways and SriLankan Airlines in Terminal 3 Cathay Pacific in Terminal 4 |
July 2, 2009 |
Stockholm | Sweden | Stockholm-Arlanda Airport | ARN | 2 | April 23, 2013 | |
Tokyo | Japan | Narita International Airport | NRT | 2 | October 31, 2010 | |
Toronto | Canada | Toronto Pearson International Airport | YYZ | 3 (American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Royal Jordanian) | November 10, 2009 |
Easy Electronic Tickets
On April 21, 2005, Oneworld was the first airline alliance to let customers fly using only electronic tickets (e-tickets) across all its member airlines. This made travel much simpler.
Awards and Recognition
Oneworld has won many awards over the years for being a top airline alliance.
Year | Organisation | Award |
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2002 | Business Traveller Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2003 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2004 | Business Traveller Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2004 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2005 | Business Traveller Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2005 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2006 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2007 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2008 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2009 | Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky Awards | Overall Best Airline Alliance |
2009 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2010 | Skytrax World Airline Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2010 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2010 | Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey 2010 Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2011 | Australian Business Traveller Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2011 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2011 | Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey 2011 Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2012 | Australian Business Traveller Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2012 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2012 | Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey 2012 Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2013 | Premier Traveller Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2013 | Business Traveller Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2013 | Skytrax World Airline Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2013 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2013 | Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey 2013 Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2014 | Premier Traveller Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2014 | Business Traveller Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2014 | Skytrax World Airline Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
2014 | Air Transport News | Best Airline Alliance |
2014 | World Travel Awards | World's Leading Airline Alliance |
2015 | Skytrax World Airline Awards | Best Airline Alliance |
Airplane Colors and Logo
All airplanes belonging to Oneworld members have a Oneworld logo. It's about 30 centimeters (12 inches) wide. You can find it on the right side of the plane, near the front doors.

Japan Airlines' Special Oneworld Design (2007)
In 2007, Japan Airlines (JAL) painted two of its airplanes with a special Oneworld design. This was to celebrate joining the alliance. The design showed a large blue globe, which is the Oneworld symbol. It represented how easy and comfortable it is to travel with the alliance.

Standard Oneworld Airplane Design
A new standard Oneworld design for airplanes was introduced in February 2009. This was part of the alliance's tenth anniversary. This design features the alliance name in very large letters, almost 2 meters (6.5 feet) tall. The name and logo are along the side of the plane. The airline's own name is in smaller letters at the front. Each airline still keeps its own unique tailfin, winglets, and engine designs.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Oneworld para niños