Middle East Airlines Begins SkyTeam Entry Process

Middle East Airlines - Air Liban (MEA), the flag carrier of Lebanon, has signed a formal agreement to join the SkyTeam global alliance in 2012, becoming its second member carrier in the Middle East alongside Saudi Arabian Airlines. Its entry will enable the group to expand its network not only within the Middle East, but also to and from Western Africa. On the counter side it will enable MEA’s customers to make more efficient links across the globe through existing SkyTeam hubs in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

"By joining SkyTeam, MEA being relatively a small airline, will now be able to provide its customers an extensive global network covering Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas,” said Mohamad El-Hout, Chairman – Director General, Middle East Airlines. “MEA customers will benefit from SkyTeam members’ loyalty programs as well as SkyTeam lounges at all airports worldwide."

According to its proposed summer schedule, MEA will offer 390 weekly flights to 28 destinations. Its main markets from its Beirut base by capacity are Paris CDG, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai, Cairo, Amman, London and Kuwait.

Source: Flightbase (June 14-20, 2011)

SkyTeam is in a phase of rapid growth - China Airlines and China Eastern Airlines are due to become fully integrated into the alliance this year, while Garuda Indonesia, Aerolíneas Argentinas and Saudi Arabian Airlines have all confirmed membership entry in 2012. It will not be stopping there, however, and the grouping expects to further expand its membership over the remainder of this year. Marie-Joseph Malé, Managing Director, SkyTeam confirmed that the alliance continues to “work on further expansion” of its global network by looking for partners “from India and Latin America".