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SkyTeam, the global airline alliance partnering Aeroflot, Aeroméxico, Air France, Alitalia, Continental Airlines, CSA, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines, sets itself apart by offering an exclusive experience for all passengers. Issued monthly, SkyTeam NewsFlash provides media with key updates and insights on alliance activities.
Aeroflot Celebrates Its First Year as a SkyTeam Member
As the tenth member to join SkyTeam, Aeroflot celebrated its first year as an alliance partner on April 14, 2006. Since becoming a member, Aeroflot has successfully integrated technologies, frequent flyer programs and other alliance initiatives.
The process to become a full member of SkyTeam is extensive, as proper integration is essential to the success of the alliance. Since signing its initial intent to join agreement, Aeroflot has undergone vast changes, which include establishing self check-in kiosks at Sheremetyevo, their hub airport, employing English-speaking, client-facing staff members, and meeting all safety and aircraft requirements. While the process to meet these standards is lengthy, the benefit of being on one accord in relation to product, safety and quality, contributes to the success of the alliance.
To date, Aeroflot participates in all SkyTeam programs and its passengers enjoy the benefits of Aeroflot’s membership. For example, Aeroflot has increased its network as a result of codeshares with its SkyTeam partners. This summer alone, the airline will increase frequencies on 80 existing routes. Passengers traveling on Aeroflot have also increased since 2006 by 10 percent.
Aeroflot’s outlook on the coming years remains bright, as the airline continues to expand. Aeroflot looks forward to further development of e-services and the introduction of the 2D barcode technology. Meeting SkyTeam’s standards and joining the alliance were significant steps of Aeroflot’s overall growth plan.
SkyTeam Executives Attend China Southern Airlines Hosted Summit
During “Industry Cooperation…A Win-Win Future” summit held April 27, 2007, SkyTeam alliance members and Chinese aviation industry leaders met to discuss the airline’s future induction into SkyTeam and its overall impact on China.
SkyTeam members present, including Jong-Hee Lee, President and COO of Korean Air, Radomir Lasak, CEO of Czech Airlines, Dominique Patry, Senior Vice President International Affairs and Alliances, Air France and other executives of SkyTeam members, provided a SkyTeam perspective on the addition of China Southern, as the airline aims to meet all SkyTeam operating standards. On track to join by the close of 2007, China Southern has reinforced its commitment to the alliance on several occasions, demonstrating the strides made toward meeting SkyTeam requirements.
In 2004, SkyTeam extended an invitation to China Southern Airlines to sign a MOU to become a member of the alliance. Since then, the airline has made progress to meet member standards. In 2006, China Southern signed the Global Airline Alliance Adherence Agreement (GAAAA), a significant step towards becoming a member of the alliance. This agreement further initiated improvement and restructuring of its IT, loyalty program and sales and marketing procedures, as well as human resources training.
China Southern Airlines is the largest airline in The People’s Republic of China in terms of fleet, routes and annual passenger traffic. It is the first mainland Chinese airline to launch its own self-created computer reservation system, sell China’s first airline e-ticket and offer customers self-service check-in.
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