Star Alliance was the second Gulf carrier to join one of the one big alliances . `` Alliances competing for members , '' says Oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby . When it comes to airline alliances , there is safety and profitability in numbers -- even more so as the industry tries to stave off the worst effects of the Great Recession and sluggish recovery , where we have seen mergers and code share agreements . Gulf carriers ' location and capacity make them important players in aviation . But Qatar Airways has `` no aspirations '' to have a Asia carrier as a member , says CEO .
Star Alliance was the second Gulf carrier to join one of the one big alliances . `` Alliances competing for members , '' says Oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby . Gulf carriers ' location and capacity make them important players in aviation . But Qatar Airways has `` no aspirations '' to have a Asia carrier as a member , says CEO .