SkyTeam is one of the world's three major
airline alliances. Founded in June 2000, SkyTeam was the last of the three alliances to be formed, the first two being
Star Alliance and
Oneworld, respectively. Its annual passenger count is 630 million (2019), the second largest of the three major alliances.[6][7][8] As of January 2019[update], SkyTeam consists of 19 carriers from five continents and operates with the slogan "Caring more about you". It also operates a cargo alliance named
SkyTeam Cargo, which partners ten carriers, all of them SkyTeam members. Its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, is based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in
Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands.[9][10]
As of November 2019[update], SkyTeam flies to more than 1,150 destinations in more than 175 countries and operates more than 14,500 daily flights. The alliance and its members have 750 lounges worldwide.[11]
Membership history
Formation and early years
On 22 June 2000, representatives of
Delta Air Lines,
Aeroméxico,
Air France, and
Korean Air held a meeting in
New York to form a third
airline alliance.[12] These became the four founding carriers of SkyTeam. Upon its formation, SkyTeam would offer its customers a total of 6,402 daily flights to 451 destinations in 98 countries. In September 2000 (2000-09), the alliance established a cargo alliance, SkyTeam Cargo. The group's inaugural members were Aeromexpress, Air France Cargo, Delta Air Logistics and Korean Air Cargo.[12] The following month, the newly established airline alliance announced its intentions to incorporate
CSA Czech Airlines as the 5th member in April the following year.[13]
The alliance saw the joining of CSA Czech Airlines on 25 March 2001;[14]Alitalia entered SkyTeam on 27 July the same year,[15] with its membership scheduled to become effective 1 November that year.[16] On 30 September 2001, the alliance received KLM's application for membership, following the airline's plans to create a leading airline group with Air France.[17] In 2003,
Delta's subsidiary,
Delta Express, was replaced by
Song.[18][19] That same year, SkyTeam also launched an improved website focused on providing passengers with more information, increased interactivity and other resources.[20]
2004: First major expansion
On 24 May 2004,
Aeroflot signed a
memorandum of understanding with SkyTeam as it intended to become a full member. The event took place in
Kremlin following the airline's application earlier in the year for membership.[21][22] SkyTeam expressed that Aeroflot has not met the consortium's standards, but that the airline's large hub networks made it ideal for the alliance, and made up for its deficiencies.[23]
On 28 August,
China Southern Airlines, the largest carrier in the People's Republic of China, signed a preliminary agreement in
Guangzhou in its bid to become a full member.[24] In the presence of a number of Chinese and airline officials, Yan Zhiqing, the chairman of China Southern Airlines, said, "This agreement-signing event is an important step forward into the future for China Southern Airlines to adapt itself to the need of further reforms and opening to the international community, as it will strengthen the airline's international cooperation and global competitiveness."
On 13 September,
Continental Airlines,
KLM and
Northwest Airlines joined the alliance.[25][26] Their simultaneous entry was the largest expansion event in airline alliance history. As a result of the three new members, SkyTeam surpassed
Oneworld to become the second largest airline alliance, serving more than 341 million customers with 14,320 daily flights to 658 destinations in 130 countries.[25]
2005–2006
Even though member
CSA Czech Airlines pledged to help
Malév Hungarian Airlines become an associate member of the alliance (as opposed to a full member, an associate has no voting rights), Malév Hungarian Airlines opted to join the
Oneworld airline alliance, signing a memorandum of understanding late in May. A few days later, SkyTeam announced four new associate members due to join by 2006, each one being "sponsored" by an existing member:
Madrid-based
Air Europa (sponsored by Air France), Panama-based
Copa Airlines (sponsored and partly owned by
Continental Airlines),
Kenya Airways (sponsored and partly owned by
KLM) and Romania's
TAROM (sponsored by
Alitalia).[27] Every associate adopted a
frequent-flyer program of a full member: Copa Airlines already used
Continental'sOnePass;[28] Kenya Airways and Air Europa used Air France–KLM'sFlying Blue.[29]
Following a 23-month joining process since May 2004 (2004-05),[30] Aeroflot joined on 14 April 2006.[31] It was the first Russian airline to be associated with any airline alliance.[32][33] Aeroflot has increased its operational standards, passing
International Air Transport Association's (IATA)
Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
Delta's subsidiary
Song continued to operate as Delta Air Lines.[34] In June, it was announced that
Portugália would become the alliance's next associate member candidate.[35] However, in November, rival airline and Star Alliance member
TAP Air Portugal, purchased 99.81% of the airline, bringing a sudden end to its candidacy.[36]
2007: Expansion
On 4 September 2007, Air Europa, Copa Airlines,[nb 1] and Kenya Airways became members of SkyTeam's Associate program,[37] which was launched to serve airlines in strategic regions which intended to become affiliated with the alliance.[38][39] China Southern Airlines joined SkyTeam on 15 November to become the 11th full member and the first carrier from
China to join the alliance.[40][41]
2008–2009: Departure of airlines and new initiatives
In June 2008 (2008-06),[42] following an agreement between Continental Airlines and
United Airlines,[43] the former, as well as Copa Airlines, announced their intentions to move to
Star Alliance after Continental's final flight with SkyTeam on 24 October 2009.[44][45][46] That day, as announced, Continental Airlines and Copa Airlines simultaneously left SkyTeam.[47][48] Continental Airlines joined
Star Alliance three days later;[49] at the time, it was rumored that the switch was Continental's initial move in a United–Continental merger.[50]
In April 2009 (2009-04), the alliance signed a preliminary agreement with
Vietnam Airlines for the airline to become a full member in 2010.[51] Also in 2009,
Alitalia-Linee Aeree Italiane re-launched operations as the new
Alitalia,[52] and the alliance announced initiatives towards a centralized management based in
Amsterdam.[53] The consortium also named a new managing director, Marie-Joseph Malé, outlined a timeline for the opening of its co-located facilities at London
Heathrow Airport, and unveiled a new special livery.[53]
In September 2009 (2009-09),
Olympic Air entered into a codeshare agreement with Delta, a deal that was part of Olympic's intention to join SkyTeam and engage in further discussions with Delta's joint venture partner Air France–KLM.[54][55][56][57] However, ties were cut in 2013 after Star Alliance member
Aegean Airlines acquired Olympic Air.
Tenth anniversary
To start off 2010,
Northwest Airlines' and
Delta Air Lines' operating certificates were officially combined on 1 January,[58] while on 9 March,
China Southern Airlines announced its plans to join
SkyTeam Cargo.[59][60][61] With membership expected to be granted in November the same year, the airline was to be the first Chinese carrier to join a global air cargo alliance.[59] On 16 April
China Eastern Airlines announced its intention to join SkyTeam, with the official joining ceremony initially expected to occur by mid-2011.[62][63] The announcement came shortly after the airline's merger with
Shanghai Airlines, a member of SkyTeam's rival
Star Alliance.
On 10 June, Vietnam Airlines became a full member following a joining ceremony held in
Hanoi.[64][65] The airline became the first SkyTeam carrier from Southeast Asia, where
Star Alliance has a strong presence through
Singapore Airlines and
Thai Airways International. With an extra 20 unique destinations added to SkyTeam's route map, Vietnam Airlines helped to strengthen the alliance's foothold in the region.[64]
On 22 June, the CEOs and
chairmen of the 13 member airlines gathered in New York to celebrate the alliance's 10th anniversary.[66] During its first decade of operation, the world's second largest airline alliance more than tripled its membership, doubled its flights and nearly doubled its destinations.[67] On the same day, SkyTeam announced that it had renewed its membership program, thereby upgrading
Air Europa,
Kenya Airways and
TAROM statuses from associate to full members.[68] During the ceremony, the Board outlined its plans to recruit members from
Latin America,
South America and India.[67] Three days later, TAROM officially became the 13th SkyTeam member.[69] As a part of the celebration, SkyTeam offered reductions of round-the-world fares[70] and other promotions. Following the 10th anniversary, SkyTeam intended to enhance customers' travel experience and deepen cooperation among its members to supplement the expansion into regions that are yet to have SkyTeam members.[71]
In South America, India and Africa, it is clear there will be a significant battle for positioning to lure good carriers in your alliance.
— Leo van Wijk, chairman during a 10th anniversary event of SkyTeam[72]
During the year, Delta Air Lines offered US$1.02 billion to
Japan Airlines after the Asian airline filed for bankruptcy due to US$26 billion debt,[73] at the same time lobbying
Oneworld's largest member in Asia to switch to SkyTeam.[74] Delta, along with
American Airlines, wanted Japan Airlines to be in their respective alliances to benefit from the U.S.–Japan
Open Skies agreement. Eventually, Japan Airlines opted to remain at Oneworld, citing that the transfer to SkyTeam would confuse its passengers and may not gain antitrust immunity from U.S. regulators.[75]
SkyTeam received its second application for full membership within a five-month time-span.
China Airlines,
Taiwan's flag carrier and largest airline, announced in mid-September that it had formally started the joining process.[76][77][78] Upon joining, the airline's route network supplemented those of
China Southern Airlines and
China Eastern Airlines, allowing cooperation among the three airlines. The following month,
Aerolíneas Argentinas signed an agreement to officially start the process of becoming the first South American SkyTeam member. The airline was set to join in 2012.[79][80][81]
On 1 November,
Shanghai Airlines exited from
Star Alliance to join SkyTeam in the future under its parent company, future SkyTeam member
China Eastern Airlines. This bolstered SkyTeam's presence in the People's Republic of China and surrounding areas, making the SkyTeam the number one alliance in the region.[82]Garuda Indonesia formally started its joining process on 23 November and was scheduled to be integrated by 2012.[83] Upon joining, the airline became the second Southeast Asian airline to join SkyTeam, therefore challenging
Star Alliance's dominance in the region through
Thai Airways International and
Singapore Airlines.
On 29 May 2012,
Saudi Arabian Airlines became both the first carrier in joining the alliance in 2012 and the first one based in the
Middle East, which brought the total members to 16.[94][95] The same day of its incorporation, Saudi Arabian Airlines was renamed to Saudia.[96]Middle East Airlines became the 17th member of the alliance a month later, following its incorporation on 28 June 2012.[97][98] On 29 August 2012, Aerolíneas Argentinas became the first
South American and the second
Latin American airline in joining the alliance,[99][100] bringing the number of members to 18.[101] Following its incorporation on 21 November 2012, Xiamen Airlines became the fourth member in
Mainland China,[84] with the overall number of members in the alliance rising to 19.[102][103][104] In late June 2013 (2013-06), the Russian newspaper Kommersant published an article that mentions that Aeroflot was considering leaving the alliance over disagreements with
Delta on the pricing on some routes to
North America. The report also mentioned that the Russian carrier was considering joining
Star Alliance.[105] In order to assess the benefits of the SkyTeam membership, a study was carried out in July; following it, the Aeroflot board reaffirmed its position within the alliance in September 2013 (2013-09).[106]
Garuda Indonesia became the 20th member of the alliance on 5 March 2014.[107][108][109] Garuda initially expected to gain SkyTeam membership in 2012, but the joining process took 40 months to be completed.[110]
2015–present: Stability
In November 2018,
China Southern Airlines announced that it would leave the alliance effective 31 December 2019 (2019-12-31).[111]
On 4 November 2019, the
International Airlines Group (IAG) announced it was buying
Air Europa for €1 billion and that the airline would leave SkyTeam if the deal succeeded.[112][113] The COVID-19 pandemic and antitrust concerns derailed the acquisition, though negotiations resumed in March 2022 when IAG agreed to grant Air Europa a €100 million loan convertible into a 20% stake.[114][115][116] In February 2023, negotiations were completed and IAG agreed to buy the remaining 80% stake in Air Europa (which it plans to keep as a separate brand but have managed by
Iberia) for €400 million, subject to European regulatory approval.[117][118][119]
On 15 October 2021,
Alitalia ceased operations, therefore departing the alliance.[120] Its successor,
ITA Airways, joined SkyTeam on 29 October 2021.[121][122][123] In 2023, the
Lufthansa Group, after confirming its initial acquisition of 41% of ITA Airways, said its plans included gaining total ownership of ITA's shares by 2028 and having the airline leave SkyTeam and join Star Alliance. Its plans, however, remain subject to approval by the
European Commission.[124][125][126][127][128] The regulator's verdict is expected by 6 June 2024.[129]
In February 2022, both Delta and KLM announced the suspension of their codesharing agreements with Aeroflot in connection with the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[130][131] Subsequently, on 27 April, SkyTeam and Aeroflot announced that Aeroflot's membership with the alliance was suspended.[132]
On 2 March 2023,
Virgin Atlantic officially joined the alliance, making it the 19th member of the alliance.[133]
On 3 October 2023,
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) announced that a consortium of Castlelake, the
Danish state,
Air France–KLM and Lind Invest ApS will be the new majority shareholders of the company, and that it would eventually join the SkyTeam alliance, giving up their founding membership of
Star Alliance.[134] If the purchase approved by the European Commission, SAS will be the alliance's 20th member while Aeroflot remains suspended. On 8 April 2024, SAS announced that it will exit Star Alliance on 31 August 2024 and enter SkyTeam the next day.[135]
SkyTeam launched a special
livery in 2009, coinciding with the alliance's 10th anniversary, with
Delta Air Lines being the first airline to paint one of its aircraft with these colours. The livery consisted of an all-metallic silver
fuselage and a dark blue
empennage with SkyTeam's logo on it. The alliance emblem is painted on both sides of the fuselage. Except
Air France and
Virgin Atlantic, all members’ aircraft painted in an airline's regular livery have the SkyTeam logo between the cockpit and the first set of cabin doors.[citation needed] As of August 2016[update], the SkyTeam livery was worn by 52 aircraft.[154]
^"
Welcome to WTC." World Trade Center Schiphol. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
^"
Contact UsArchived 11 February 2011 at the
Wayback Machine." World Trade Center Schiphol. Retrieved 7 February 2011. "World Trade Center Schiphol Airport Schiphol Boulevard 105 1118 BG Schiphol The Netherlands."
^
abSobie, Brendan (11 February 2010).
"Copa expects mid 2010 alliance decision". FlightGlobal.
Washington, D.C.Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Copa Airlines was independent until 2005 when it became a SkyTeam associate member. Colombian sister carrier Aero Republica, which is also owned by Copa Holdings, has always been independent although like Copa it is part of Continental's OnePass frequent flier programme.
^Field, David (23 July 2008).
"Continental's alliance switch alters balance of power in US". FlightGlobal. Airline Business. Archived from
the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2012. After rejecting an outright merger with Star member United, Continental unveiled plans in June to leave SkyTeam next year and join Star.
^"Saudi Arabian Airlines, now known as Saudia, joins SkyTeam and adds 35 destinations". Centre for Aviation. 29 May 2012. Archived from
the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2012. Flag carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines formally joined the SkyTeam alliance on 29-May-2012, becoming the alliance's 16th global member and first member from the Middle East. The carrier also used the occasion to re-brand, adopting its old name of "Saudia".
^Walker, Karen (22 November 2012).
"Xiamen joins SkyTeam". Air Transport World. Archived from
the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
^Sobie, Brendan (10 November 2010).
"Both Avianca-TACA and Copa to join Star Alliance". FlightGlobal. Miami.
Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Copa has been considering joining Star since 2008, when it decided to exit SkyTeam. It formally left in October 2009 with close partner and former part-owner Continental Airlines.