SkyTeam Takes Top Honors in Global Finance Mag’s Ranking of the Best Global Companies
Nov 20, 2002, 11:58 pm
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SkyTeam Takes Top Honors in Global Finance Mag’s Ranking of the Best Global Companies
BEST Global Companies
SkyTeam takes top honors in the "Airlines" category of Global Finance magazine’s fifth annual ranking of the best global companies, to be released in the November issue. For the first time, Global Finance’s editors awarded an alliance instead of an individual airline, citing that the future of commercial aviation lies in alliances.
Airlines-SkyTeam Alliance
For an industry struggling to match global ambitions with strained finances, alliances are increasingly seen as the way forward. All the major carriers are tied up with one of the big-three global alliances; medium-size airlines are rushing to join. That’s why this year, for the first time, the global award goes to an alliance. With Air France and Delta at its core, SkyTeam is not yet the biggest grouping in the industry, but it’s the one with a tailwind.
Delta and Korean Air won anti-trust immunity across the Pacific in June, allowing them to cooperate even closer on routes between Asia and North America.
SkyTeam members already enjoy immunity on the crucial cross-Atlantic routes, in contrast to OpenWorld members. And soon-to-be-privatized AirFrance is emerging as one of the strongest players in the industry, partly because of its modern Charles de Gaulle hub.
United Airlines’ bankruptcy has placed a further strain on the Star Alliance, in which Lufthansa is the main European player. The five-year-old Star grouping was long regarded as the industry leader.
All of that is increasingly luring carriers to SkyTeam; KLM and Air India are the most prominent carriers edging toward the alliance. Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines and Aeromexico are the other existing SkyTeam members.
There are clouds on the horizon, however. Like the industry as a whole, Alliance members would be hard hit by more conflict in the Gulf. And a code-sharing and marketing agreement between Air France, Delta, Continental and Northwest may distract from the attractions of SkyTeam.
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I am not a sanctioned representative of Delta on these boards, just an interested participant. I'm only here trying to shed light on DL issues brought up on this board. I do work for Delta, but I don't represent DL's final word when answering a question. Please e-mail Customer Care with your questions. www.delta.com/email
SkyTeam takes top honors in the "Airlines" category of Global Finance magazine’s fifth annual ranking of the best global companies, to be released in the November issue. For the first time, Global Finance’s editors awarded an alliance instead of an individual airline, citing that the future of commercial aviation lies in alliances.
Airlines-SkyTeam Alliance
For an industry struggling to match global ambitions with strained finances, alliances are increasingly seen as the way forward. All the major carriers are tied up with one of the big-three global alliances; medium-size airlines are rushing to join. That’s why this year, for the first time, the global award goes to an alliance. With Air France and Delta at its core, SkyTeam is not yet the biggest grouping in the industry, but it’s the one with a tailwind.
Delta and Korean Air won anti-trust immunity across the Pacific in June, allowing them to cooperate even closer on routes between Asia and North America.
SkyTeam members already enjoy immunity on the crucial cross-Atlantic routes, in contrast to OpenWorld members. And soon-to-be-privatized AirFrance is emerging as one of the strongest players in the industry, partly because of its modern Charles de Gaulle hub.
United Airlines’ bankruptcy has placed a further strain on the Star Alliance, in which Lufthansa is the main European player. The five-year-old Star grouping was long regarded as the industry leader.
All of that is increasingly luring carriers to SkyTeam; KLM and Air India are the most prominent carriers edging toward the alliance. Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines and Aeromexico are the other existing SkyTeam members.
There are clouds on the horizon, however. Like the industry as a whole, Alliance members would be hard hit by more conflict in the Gulf. And a code-sharing and marketing agreement between Air France, Delta, Continental and Northwest may distract from the attractions of SkyTeam.
------------------
I am not a sanctioned representative of Delta on these boards, just an interested participant. I'm only here trying to shed light on DL issues brought up on this board. I do work for Delta, but I don't represent DL's final word when answering a question. Please e-mail Customer Care with your questions. www.delta.com/email
