SkyTeam NewsFlash - June 2008

SkyTeam, the global airline alliance partnering eleven members – including Aeroflot, Aeroméxico, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern Airlines, Continental Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines – and three Associate carriers – Air Europa, Copa Airlines and Kenya Airways – sets itself apart by offering an exclusive experience for all passengers.  SkyTeam NewsFlash is published monthly to keep media up to date on alliance activities.  

SkyTeam Holds Briefing at IATA AGM

On June 2, 2008, SkyTeam hosted a media briefing at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Istanbul. SkyTeam Chairman Leo van Wijk shared the latest developments from the alliance and provided an industry perspective.

While various topics were discussed, SkyTeam’s move to Terminal 4 at London Heathrow International Airport (LHR) was of interest. BAA, the airport company, delayed the Terminal 5 relocation, which, in turn, has delayed SkyTeam’s move to T4. SkyTeam spokesperson Giorgio Callegari, chairman of SkyTeam Airport and Infrastructure Special Projects, has previously said, “SkyTeam believes the lack of a clear plan for the relocation project has serious business ramifications for all carriers, and threatens the alliance’s ability to meet customer expectations.”

During the briefing, van Wijk echoed Callegari’s statements. “Because of this delay, we estimate a loss of 8 or 9 million pounds,” said Mr. van Wijk. “We are talking big money. And of course, we will have a debate with BAA to recover at least part of this because we feel it is their responsibility.”

Other topics Mr. van Wijk covered included IT platform enhancements and the intent to create a SkyTeam livery. van Wijk also announced that the 11 SkyTeam members have agreed to signed a corporate social responsibility charter. The statement serves as a unifying platform that details the commitment of SkyTeam members – profitable growth goes hand in hand with environmental quality and social progress. The full statement follows.

Mr. van Wijk concluded, “SkyTeam has made very good progress in a lot of important areas and we feel that given the circumstances, we are best prepared to meet all the challenges that are out there in the marketplace.”

SkyTeam Celebrates its Eighth Anniversary

June 22, 2008, marks the eighth anniversary of SkyTeam. The alliance began with four members, Aeroméxico, Air France, Delta Air Lines and Korean Air. In the past year, SkyTeam has added China Southern Airlines and three Associate Airlines, Air Europa, Copa Airlines and Kenya Airways. Today, the alliance is composed of 11 full members and three Associate Airlines, offering 16,400 daily departures to 841 destinations in 162 countries worldwide. Last month, SkyTeam signed an agreement with Romanian carrier TAROM to start the process of becoming an Associate member. Looking forward, SkyTeam will continue to build on its current strengths and enhance its product offerings to meet and exceed customer expectations.

The SkyTeam Alliance consists of eleven partner airlines, each with its own identity and brand, working together to meet the growing demand for worldwide mobility. Our activities support economic development and connect people and cultures in the communities we serve. As much as we believe in the value of the service we provide, we recognize the potential environmental and social consequences of our activities. With that awareness, each partner airline seeks to ensure that profitable growth goes hand in hand with environmental quality and social progress.

The SkyTeam Alliance strives to set the industry standard for protecting the environment, promoting social responsibility and realizing equitable, economic prosperity. In this vein, SkyTeam adopts the following commitments.

SkyTeam is committed to realizing sustainable economic prosperity.

• We are accountable for our financial results and guarantee transparency in the information we provide.
• We partner with local, national and international organizations to help build and strengthen the communities we serve through employment and economic growth.
• We act with integrity and strive to earn the trust of all of our stakeholders.
• We embrace safety, security and quality as the foundation for a superior level of performance in our operations.

SkyTeam is committed to promoting social responsibility.

• We offer safe, motivating working conditions.
• We strive to promote diversity and to ensure equal opportunities among all staff.
• We foster employee opportunities for advancement and mobility through career enhancement initiatives.
• We undertake to abide by all labour laws anywhere we operate, and request our suppliers and subcontractors to do the same. We undertake to protect human rights through the opposition of all forms of child or forced labor, to apply the law in this regard and will request that our suppliers and contractors comply with these principles.

SkyTeam is committed to the protection of the natural environment.

• We endeavor to implement best available technologies in fleet renewal and the most efficient procedures and operations to reduce noise and air emissions, including greenhouse gasses.
• We continuously analyze our practices and processes to identify opportunities for improving our environmental performance.
• We implement measures to reduce the environmental impact of our activities and ask our suppliers and contractors to do the same.
• We ensure all facilities and operations comply with environmental protection regulations.
• We communicate with our customers, suppliers and employees to ensure awareness of environmental goals and objectives and support employee-driven environmentally protective initiatives.