Star Alliance welcomes Air China

Thursday, 23 May, 2006 0

Air China will be the latest airline to join the Star Alliance after signing an agreement today.

The move comes after the airline alliance extended an invitation to Shanghai Airlines earlier this year. When both airlines become full members, Star will have dual-hub coverage in China.

Star Alliance CEO Jaan Albrecht said: “With Air China having chosen to join Star Alliance, we have now taken the decisive step in implementing our strategy for the Chinese market. This decision truly lays the foundation for the future pace in Chinese aviation.”

Li Jiaxiang, chairman of China National Aviation Holding Company and Air China, said: “With economic globalisation and open skies, the competition in the airline industry will become more and more severe. No one airline can create a global network by itself. In order to survive and develop, airlines have to cooperate with other partners in various forms including multilateral alliance cooperation.”

This latest signing means the Star Alliance network will grow to 20 members, offering fights to 912 destinations in 160 countries.

By Bev Fearis

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Bev

Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.

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