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The agreement is a formal step in the alliance's new member process and outlines China Southern Airlines' commitment to meet the stringent set of standards to be officially recognized as a member of SkyTeam
The signing ceremony took place at Southern Airlines Pearl Hotel in Guangzhou and was attended by Liu Shao Yong, chairman of China Southern Airlines; and Yang Yuanyuan, director, Civil Aviation Administration of China, General Administration; as well as Yang Ho Cho, chairman and chief executive officer of Korean Air; and other SkyTeam representatives.
"Today, China Southern Airlines is one step closer to joining SkyTeam," said Mr. Cho. "As we move toward this goal, SkyTeam looks forward to integrating the airline's service offering into the alliance network. This will expand SkyTeam's service in China and other key regions, while adding a well-positioned, modern hub in Guangzhou airport to the alliance's hub network. SkyTeam passengers can look forward to increased travel options in a region experiencing strong travel demand."
China Southern Airlines will officially become a member of SkyTeam once bilateral codesharing, frequent flyer and lounge agreements with each of the SkyTeam carriers are in place and the carrier satisfies all SkyTeam membership requirements. Completion of these requirements is expected in 2007.Yahoo! News
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