Dragonair will join the oneworld airline alliance on November 1.
Oneworld says it is expected to join before rival airline alliances bring their Chinese members elect on board.
Hong Kong-based Dragonair serves 19 destinations in mainland China, with some 400 flights a week.
Of these destinations, 12 will be new to the oneworld network – Chongqing, Changsha, Chengdu, Fuzhou, Haikou, Kunming, Guilin, Ningbo, Nanjing, Shenyang, Sanya and Wuhan.
Elsewhere, Dragonair will add Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia), Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Phuket (Thailand) to the alliance map.
By adding Phnom Penh, oneworld will connect with Cambodia for the first time.
Dragonair was elected to join late last year, following its integration with alliance founder member Cathay Pacific Airways in September 2006.
As an affiliate member, Dragonair will offer the alliance’s full range of services and benefits.
By Bev Fearis
