FORT WORTH, Texas — Read this story and more North Texas business news from our partners at the Dallas Business Journal
The global headquarters of the Oneworld Alliance is leaving New York City for North Texas.
Effective December 2022, the airline alliance will move to the 300-acre Robert L. Crandall Campus in Fort Worth, home of American Airlines Group Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL) and located adjacent to DFW International Airport.
Oneworld Chairman and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Akbar Al Baker said in a statement it’s a significant step to relocate the organization’s global headquarters to be close to American, one of its founder members.
“Its home hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is one of the largest airports in our alliance and serviced by eight members, demonstrating its unrivalled connectivity and importance to travellers as a global hub,” said Al Baker.
Oneworld has been based in New York since 2011 after it moved from Vancouver after the launch of the Alliance in 1999. The organization's central management team will continue to be led by Rob Gurney, who has acted as CEO since 2016.
With the move, Oneworld is hoping to tap into Texas’ significant aviation talent pool given its broad ties to aerospace.
“It's go time in Fort Worth, and we're focusing on growing jobs and creating opportunities for everyone,” said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker in a prepared statement.
Through the Alliance, Oneworld serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Aside from American, the group's other founder members include British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific and Canadian Airlines.
American Airlines' completed its new campus in 2019. Next up for the carrier's hundreds of acres is an all-new hotel.
The on-campus property, set to open in 2023, will include eight stories of guest rooms for employees to stay at when visiting American's headquarters campus for training and business meetings and a 10,000-square-foot ballroom for hosting events such as "State of the Airline."
“We are thrilled to welcome the oneworld team to our Skyview campus in Fort Worth. American is committed to building and delivering the very best global network and oneworld is an important part of that mission. The American and oneworld teams working more closely together will be tremendously beneficial to oneworld’s member airlines and customers around the world,” said American CEO Robert Isom.