Aeroflot to join Skyteam

Aeroflot Joins Sky Team
Created: 24.05.2004 16:30 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 16:30 MSK, 1 hour 3 minutes ago

MosNews

Russian state airline Aeroflot and Sky Team alliance signed a partnership agreement and initiated a process of Russian company’s accession to the organization. It is expected that Aeroflot will become a full member of Sky Team alliance in 2005, Valery Okulov, head of Aeroflot told Prime-Tass economic news agency.

The international Sky Team alliance already includes Air France, Alitalia, Delta Airlines, Czech Airlines, AirMexico and Korean Air. KLM, Northwest and Continental already expressed their intention to join the alliance.

Speaking at a press conference following the signing of agreement Okulov said that joining the alliance will help Aeroflot to become more competitive, especially on international routes.

President of Air France Jean-Cyril Spinetta who also took part in the press conference lauded Aeroflot on the work that the Russian company did in the last few years in the efforts to improve its services and organization of business to confirm to international standards. He noted that Sky Team started negotiations with Aeroflot two years ago and the “positive changes” which happened in the Russian company show that the time for Aeroflot’s accession to the alliance is just right.