Passengers coming from China may now travel to more Central
Asian and Middle Eastern cities at cheaper prices and with fewer
flight transfer as routes from Air China, Shanghai Airlines and
Turkish Airlines will be linked.
The move comes after Turkish Airlines signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with the Star Alliance last Saturday. Air China
and Shanghai Airlines signed similar MOUs with the alliance in
May.
Star Alliance is one of the world's largest airline networks,
and shares flight routes and other resources among its members.
Li Jiaxiang, chairman of Air China, told China Daily:
"Turkish Airlines' joining Star Alliance is great news for Air
China. We are planning to expand cooperation soon."
The number of passengers traveling between China and Turkey has
risen rapidly in recent years, though the proportion is still
relatively small in terms of global passenger flow.
Turkish Airlines Cargo is also seeking cooperation opportunities
with the two Chinese airlines in its business expansion of cargo
services.
Jaan Albrecht, Star Alliance CEO said: "The Turkish Airlines
will extend the alliance to include the two Chinese airlines'
networks with a fleet of 101 aircraft and 131 destinations in 68
countries."
Meanwhile, Istanbul, the airline's home base and the crossroads
of Europe and Asia, will serve as an important hub.
Under the Star Alliance umbrella, Air China and Shanghai
Airlines will expand their customer offerings in terms of sharing
Turkish Airlines' network coverage, incorporating frequent flier
benefits and sharing VIP lounges.
Temel Kotil, Turkish Airlines' CEO, explained that joining Star
Alliance may include co-location at airports, joint lounges,
electronic ticketing, joint media purchasing and joint aircraft and
oil purchasing.
However, the airline will need to complete an integration
process before becoming a full member, which will take about 16
months.
The two Chinese airlines are also working on the integration
process.
Li Jiaxiang said: "The integration is going very smoothly. We
are expecting to pass the evaluation of the alliance and become a
full member in December 2007."
Shanghai Airlines has set up an alliance office to deal with
relevant issues, particularly integration.
Fan Hongxi, president of Shanghai Airlines, said that the
carrier is pouring employee efforts into the integration process,
which will eventually help increase its core competitiveness.
(China Daily December 14, 2006)
