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A Qantas aircraft (L) is pictured beside British Airways aircraft at Heathrow airport, west of London, on December 4, 2008. Qantas will remain a majority-owned Australian airline even if it merges with British Airways to create a global carrier to better cope with challenging market conditions, the Australian government said Wednesday. The chief executives of the two iconic airlines have been in merger talks since August as they battle volatile fuel prices and shrinking passenger demand as the world economy creeps into recession.
A British tourist reads a newspaper next to a British Airways sign after checking in at a temporary check-in counter for Qantas and British Airways airlines at a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008. Thailand's battered political parties tried to find a replacement for the ousted Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat as airport authorities hurried Thursday to restore international air links severed by protesters who occupied Bangkok's two airports for a week.
A British Airways passenger jet and Qantas Airways passenger jets sit on the tarmac at Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008. British Airways PLC and Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd. said on Tuesday they are holding talks about a potential merger, sparking hopes of consolidation in the hard-hit aviation industry.
A Qantas plane taxis between British Airways jets at Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney December 3, 2008. British Airways and Australia's Qantas Airways said they were in merger talks, signalling further consolidation in an industry desperate to cut costs in the global economic downturn. Shares in Qantas Airways Ltd, Australia's top airline, rose as much as 9.3 percent in early Wednesday trade following news of the merger talks.
A Qantas plane taxis past a British Airways jet at Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney December 3, 2008. British Airways and Australia's Qantas Airways said they were in merger talks, signalling further consolidation in an industry desperate to cut costs in the global economic downturn. Shares in Qantas Airways Ltd, Australia's top airline, rose as much as 9.3 percent in early Wednesday trade following news of the merger talks.
A Qantas passenger plane taxis between British Airways jets at Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney December 3, 2008. British Airways and Australia's Qantas Airways said they were in merger talks, signalling further consolidation in an industry desperate to cut costs in the global economic downturn.
A Qantas passenger plane passes between two British Airways planes at Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney December 3, 2008. British Airways and Australia's Qantas Airways said they were in merger talks, signalling further consolidation in an industry desperate to cut costs in the global economic downturn.
A Qantas passenger plane taxis between British Airways jets at Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney December 3, 2008. British Airways and Australia's Qantas Airways said they were in merger talks, signalling further consolidation in an industry desperate to cut costs in the global economic downturn.
A British Airways aircraft passes a Qantas plane at Terminal 4 of London's Heathrow Airport, Tuesday Dec. 2, 2008, following an announcement that British Airways is in talks about a possible merger with the Australian carrier. The news sent BA shares leaping by more than 14% at one stage, as BA said it was looking to achieve a tie-up through a dual-listed company structure. Should a merger come about, both airlines - which already jointly market, or code share, on some routes - would retain their identities.
Emergency service personnel attend to a British Airways plane that landed short of the runway at Heathrow Airport in London January 17, 2008. The British Airways plane on a flight from China crash-landed short of the runway at London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday. Four people were slightly injured. Fire engines smothered the Boeing 777 in foam after it landed with its wings extensively damaged and its undercarriage wrecked.
British Airways chairman and president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Martin Broughton, listens to a speaker at their conference in London November 24, 2008. Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown will try to kickstart the stalling economy on Monday by spending billions of borrowed pounds on tax cuts in a bid to stop a recession turning into a slump.
L-R: British Airways head of sales Andrew Crawley, former commercial director Martin George, former head of corporate communications Iain Burns and former head of UK and Ireland sales Alan Burnett leave the City of London Magistrates Court November 12, 2008. The four were charged in connection with an inquiry into fuel surcharge price fixing.
A British Airways airplane, top, along with others queue to land at London Heathrow Airport, Friday Nov. 7, 2008. British Airways PLC reported Friday a first-half loss of 49 million pounds (US$77 million), as chief executive Willie Walsh said record high oil prices and a global economic slowdown meant the period would be remembered as one of the bleakest on record. The net loss for six months compared to a profit of 493 million pounds (US$777 million) a year earlier. Revenue rose 6.4 percent to 4.75 billion pounds (US$7.4 billion), Europe's third largest airline said. But the rise in revenue was more than canceled out by the cost of oil, and the growing number of empty seats on flights.
A British Airways aircraft comes into land over houses at London's Heathrow Airport in this September 29, 2008 file photo. British Airways Plc said on Friday it would make a small profit in the current financial year, as first-half to end-Sept profits plunged to 52 million pounds ($82.64 million) against 616 million last year. Photo taken September 29, 2008.