Xiamen Airlines Receives Green Light for SkyTeam Membership

Chinese carrier Xiamen Airlines has been formally accepted as a member of the SkyTeam alliance by its membership and will now begin the process leading to full entry into the grouping, which is expected to take place by the end of next year. The airline’s entry will notably increase SkyTeam’s activities in the Chinese market, particularly in the flourishing southeast region of the country.

Based in Xiamen, a coastal city in East China's Fujian province, Xiamen Airlines operates a network of domestic and regional services throughout China and Asia, predominantly from the hub airports of Xiamen, Fuzhou and Hangzhou. It offers key international links to Singapore Changi from Fuzhou and Xiamen; to Hong Kong from Jinjiang and Xiamen and to Taipei from Changsha, Fuzhou, Hangzhou and Xiamen.

Fujian is one of the more prosperous provinces in China with diverse industries such as clothing, tea production and electronics, while tourism has also seen very strong recent growth and is one of the highlights in the region’s economy.

While currently over 90 per cent of the network is domestic, Xiamen Airlines’ goal is to boost its international traffic by expanding to serve major long-haul destinations in Australia, Europe and North America, starting in 2014 and its alliance entry will be mentored by existing member China Southern Airlines, a major shareholder in the operator.

“SkyTeam has long recognised the region’s huge economic potential, resulting in our number position in Greater China. Xiamen Airlines’ membership in SkyTeam will strengthen our offer in the southeastern part of China and the cross-strait markets,” said Michael Wisbrun, Managing Director, SkyTeam. “And while we further capitalise on the expanding network, our members in China will work together to enhance alliance-wide benefits for our customers.”