SkyTeam NewsFlash – January 2005
SkyTeam, the global airline alliance partnering Aeroméxico, Air France, Alitalia, Continental, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Korean Air and Northwest, sets itself apart by offering an exclusive experience for all passengers. SkyTeam NewsFlash, issued monthly, enables the alliance to keep key media fully up-to-date with its most recent developments. Please read on for this month’s update of SkyTeam activities.
SkyTeam Positions for Future Fleet Growth – Over the next few years SkyTeam members will be welcoming new aircraft into their fleets to better serve their customers. The modernization will mean cost savings for alliance members as many aircraft are now built to be more fuel-efficient. Over the last year, several carriers announced their long term plans to incorporate new units. The additional aircraft will better position the alliance to improve upon the quality of passenger service. In keeping with the latest advancements in aviation technology, the modern aircraft limit emissions and noise into the environment.
Aeroméxico, Air France, Continental, CSA Czech Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Korean Air have ordered, and will accept, the combined delivery of more than one hundred and sixty aircraft over the next five years, including:
- Aeroméxico: Ten Boeing 737-700
- Air France: Six Airbus A318, two Airbus A319, three Airbus A330, one Boeing 747, seven Boeing 777 and ten Airbus A380 (*situation on 31 march 2004)
- Continental: Thirty 737-800, fifteen 737-700, three 737-900, plus ten Boeing 7E7 and eight 757-300 subject to board approval
- CSA Czech Airlines: Twelve Airbus A320 and A319 (as of March 2006)
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: Three Boeing 777 and six Airbus A330
- Korean Air: Eight Boeing aircraft; one 747-400, two 777-200, two 737-800 and three 747-400F
- Northwest: Six A330-300, six A330-200, two A320-200, and eleven A319-100
The SkyTeam alliance currently operates over 14,320 daily flights on 1,935 aircraft to help passengers to reach over 658 destinations in 137 countries.
SkyTeam’s Busiest Hubs of 2004 – According to Airports Council International (ACI), an international non-profit association, three of SkyTeam’s hubs are among the ten busiest airports in the world. As of July of 2004, Atlanta-Hartsfield, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport ranked number one, number eight and number nine respectively and accommodated a combined total of 8,825,992 travelers. Atlanta-Hartsfield and Paris Charles de Gaulle hubs accommodate all nine members of the alliance, as well as Amsterdam Schiphol, which eight members of the alliance utilize. All three hubs provide optimal connecting opportunities and give a passengers access to over 658 worldwide destinations. In addition, the SkyTeam hub located at Charles de Gaulle ranks as the number one airport in Europe for connecting opportunities.
In order to meet the demands of world travelers, each hub airport is undergoing a variety of modifications.
In Atlanta, Delta’s International Concourse C will experience a face-lift as part of a $20 million renovation that includes:
- New carpeting, seating and signage
- State-of-the-art flight information displays at every gate that provides flight departure, arrival, stand-by and connecting information
- A new 6,800-square-foot Crown Room Club will provide access to premium customer amenities
- Personalized flight assistance
- A fully stocked complimentary bar
- High-speed Wi-Fi internet access and other amenities for the international traveler
At Charles de Gaulle, A new boarding lounge for Air France passengers is available at Terminal 2E. It is designed to temporarily replace the closed concourse. This new boarding lounge is large enough to cater for six flights simultaneously. An important milestone will be crossed next June when six new boarding gates will be ready, and more SkyTeam flights will begin operating from Terminal 2E.
Finally, technology in the Amsterdam hub is offering online check-in to reduce wait time. KLM expanded online check-in to over 40 kiosks, to meet greater demands among passengers for more efficiency and control over the travel process. In addition, half of KLM’s total check-in capacity at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is now supported by Self Service Check In Machine kiosks(SSCI).
Hub traffic does not seem to be slowing down as the ACI reported a fourteen percent rise in passenger traffic in the first ten months of 2004. As volume increases, member ailrlines’ facilities will continue to meet the demands of SkyTeam passengers.
For more information about SkyTeam, please visit www.skyteam.com, or call SkyTeam Communications at 646-935-4161 (in the United States).
