A milestone episode for The Indian AvGeek. For our fiftieth show we welcome Nathaniel Pieper, an airline lifer who now leads Oneworld. Expect a conversation that blends airline boardroom strategy with the pure joy of flight — fleet tales, alliance chess, lounge plans for India, and the kind of technical nitty gritty only someone who’s ridden the industry for decades can tell.
✈️ How it began — Nat’s first sparks for aviation and the formative moments that steered him from Northwest to a career shaped around alliances and network strategy.
✈️ Alliances as vocation — Why alliances became a repeated thread through his roles at Northwest, Delta, Alaska and now as Oneworld CEO
✈️ Fleet futures — A frank take on the Airbus A321XLR’s ambition to deliver 757-like range and economics and how that shapes network planning
✈️ Lessons learnt from Alaska Airlines — How leading Alaska’s Oneworld entry and previous alliance work at Delta inform Nat’s priorities and decision-making
✈️ Oneworld’s identity — A clear articulation of the alliance’s value for member airlines and passengers and how Oneworld positions itself differently from Star Alliance and SkyTeam. The practical criteria, simulations and KPIs Oneworld uses when evaluating new members to strengthen network value rather than dilute it
✈️ India on the radar — Why India matters for Oneworld, the current absence of an Indian member, and the concrete alliance benefits that can be tailored for Indian flyers including loyalty, network connectivity and premium services beyond lounges.
✈️ Oneworld lounge in India — The roadmap for up to 10 new Oneworld lounges in the coming years and the practical hurdles and opportunities of opening lounges in Indian airports
✈️ Codeshares versus alliances — How airlines like IndiGo choose between codeshares, multilateral alliances, or remaining unaligned and what strategic tradeoffs CXOs weigh
✈️ Segmenting the alliance — Whether Oneworld will remain a unified network or evolve into layered offerings to partner with LCCs for VFR and leisure demand without eroding premium yields
✈️ Commercial returns of an alliance — The financial and operational KPIs that justify alliance investment, and how ROI is measured across fees, shared revenue and resource commitments
✈️ Network coordination — The role Oneworld plays in reducing route duplication while growing members’ networks and where member autonomy still rules
✈️ Technology and distribution — Oneworld’s perspective on NDC, digital distribution, dynamic packaging and the technology roadmap that will enable seamless passenger experiences
✈️ Personal moments — Nat’s favourite airline, his most memorable flights from a passenger and executive point of view, and why keeping a flight journal since 2006 defines him as one of us.
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra
The Indian AvGeek continues to be India’s premier aviation podcast, bringing you fortnightly deep dives into airlines, airports, industry trends, and the personalities shaping the world of aviation.