BEIJING -
China Southern Airlines, one of the top three
airlines in China, signed the Global Airline
Alliance Adherence Agreement (GAAAA) June 28 with
SkyTeam, a key global airline alliance.
The event marks a formal and crucial step
for China Southern, outlining its commitment to
the stringent set of standards officially
recognized by members of the alliance. Liu
Shaoyong, chairman
of
China Southern, said his company will take
immediate measures to modify its operation and
management in strict accordance with the GAAAA.
He said that the airline will make efforts
to improve handling services, upgrade facilities
and offer training programs to at least 75% of its
staff to bring standards up to the practices of
the alliance.
China Southern will also put
in place bilateral code sharing and frequent flyer
and lounge agreements with each of the SkyTeam
carriers before it officially becomes a member of
SkyTeam.
"Hopefully, China Southern will
accomplish the related requirements and become an
official member of SkyTeam in the latter half of
2007," Liu said, adding that membership in the
SkyTeam alliance will enable China Southern to
integrate its resources with other SkyTeam
members, lower operational costs and sharpen its
global competitive edge. "Our international route
network and flight density will greatly expand,
while our passengers will be able to enjoy many
more convenient and improved services and more
favorable fares," he said.
China Southern
operates over 1,000 flights a day. The 10 member
airlines of SkyTeam operate more than 2,000
aircraft and nearly 15,000 daily flights to 728
destinations in 149 countries. SkyTeam carriers
currently include Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air
France-KLM, Alitalia, Continental Airlines, Czech
Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Korean Air, and
Northwest Airlines, along with an assortment of
subsidiary and "associate" members.
As
required by the alliance, China Southern will
guarantee that 80% of the 27 airports on the
mainland served by China Southern flights will be
improved to meet SkyTeam standards within one year
after China Southern joins the alliance, and 100%
will be compliant within two years.
On
behalf of the SkyTeam alliance, Yang-Ho Cho,
chairman and CEO of Korean Air, said China
Southern's membership would be beneficial to all
alliance members. "China Southern is located
within an area identified as a strategically
crucial region of expansion for SkyTeam. Its
joining will expand SkyTeam's services in China
and add the well-positioned, modern hub of
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to the
alliance's hub network," Cho said. "SkyTeam
passengers can look forward to increased travel
options in a region experiencing strong travel
demand."
SkyTeam's network includes hubs
in major airports worldwide, such as Air France's
Paris Charles de Gaulle hub, Korean Air's hub at
Incheon International Airport and Aeromexico's
Mexico City Airport hub, the largest in the Latin
American region.
Yang Yuanyuan, minister
of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of
China, spoke highly of China Southern's vanguard
position in seeking to join a global airline
alliance. "What China Southern has been doing
marks a milestone for China's airlines in the
globalization process."
The senior
official said he expected China Southern to be an
example for other domestic airlines which could
also join in global competition. Two other Chinese
airlines, Air China and Shanghai Airlines signed a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Star,
another leading airline alliance, in May. The Star
Alliance includes Air Canada, ANA, Lufthansa,
Swissair and United, among other carriers.
