British Airways expects new partners in a global alliance that it and four other international airlines will form in the near future, Robert Ayling, the carrier's chief executive, said Tuesday.
The other charter members of the Oneworld alliance, announced in September, are American Airlines, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and Qantas Airways.
It is widely speculated that Japan Airlines Co., which has announced plans to form a comprehensive alliance with American Airlines, will join the new consortium. JAL, however, continues to say it will compare the benefits of bilateral or multilateral alliances.