Pursuits
Virgin No Longer Flying Solo Caps Year of Airline Alliances
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Independent airlines have shrunk to a handful of smaller carriers in a year that’s seen mavericks including Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. end their solo approach and top Gulf operators enlist in alliances or joint ventures.
Of the 40 leading airlines by revenue from flights to the top 100 business hubs, 11 lacked partnerships deeper than code-shares as of Jan. 1, 2012. Since then, accords and investments have left only EasyJet Plc, El Al Israel Airlines, Jet Airways (India) Ltd. and Philippines Airlines Inc. unaligned.