Aer Lingus Deepens Talks With British Airways, Rivals

Aer Lingus Group Plc is stepping up talks with Oneworld airline alliance leader British Airways Plc and carriers from the rival Star and Skyteam groups as it seeks to decide which of the three global blocs to join next year.

The Irish company has been in contact with Oneworld, where British Airways is acting as its sponsor, and those negotiations are set to intensify, Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller said in an interview. United Airlines and KLM will fulfill the role of intermediaries in discussions with Star and Skyteam.