Vietnam Airlines moves towards full membership of SkyTeam Alliance

Five months after accepting the invittaion from the influential SkyTeam alliance, Vietnam Airlines are progressing towards becoming the third Asian member alongside Korean Air and China Southern Airlines.

The membership is expected to be finalised sometine during the coming year, 2010.

"Vietnam Airlines will enhance SkyTeam's network in Southeast Asia, adding a number of new destinations throughout the region," SkyTeam Steering Committee Chairman and Air France VP-International Affairs and Alliances Dominique Patry said. "Given its existing service to five alliance hubs and its broad international network, Vietnam Airlines is a strategic partner for the alliance." Vietnam Airlines currently serves Beijing, Guangzhou, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Incheon and Tokyo Narita. It operates 64 routes to 24 international and 20 domestic destinations in total and will offer SkyTeam access to 17 new destinations (14 in Vietnam). It currently codeshares with China Southern and Korean Air.