Finnair Cargo has agreed to participate in IAG Cargo’s Partner Plus program, through which members agree to interline cooperation on a commercially booked basis.
The benefit for Finnair is to gain customers it has not previously engaged due to IAG’s strength in the Americas and Africa. IAG will gain access to strategic destinations in the Asia Pacific region that Finnair has cultivated. Both will be able to offer better network connectivity to their customers, who will benefit through confirmed bookings and a higher on-load priority.
“Our Partner Plus program is much more than a standard interline program, where capacity is usually only held for partners on a stand-by basis,” said IAG Cargo boss Steve Gunning. “Rather, this is a hugely cost-effective means of growing our network reach.”
The agreement, is set up in such a way that there would be little distinction between IAG’s and Finnair’s shipments. “We aim to treat our partners’ cargo as we would a customer’s,’” Gunnin added.
Six carriers are now part of the Partner Plus program including Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, the Avianca group and American Airlines.