Summary

  • SkyTeam, founded in 2000, quickly became the second-largest alliance.
  • SkyTeam's founding members included Delta Air Lines, Air France, Aeromexico, and Korean Air.
  • Despite various challenges, SkyTeam has continued expanding and has 20 active members.

SkyTeam is the youngest of the three major alliances and home to carriers like Delta Air Lines, Air France, China Eastern, and, most recently, Virgin Atlantic. Carrying over 437 million passengers last year, the alliance has quickly become the second largest and shows no signs of slowing down. Here's a look back at its history and what is coming next.

Founding

SkyTeam was founded on 22nd June 2000 by four major carriers: Delta Air Lines, Air France, Aeromexico, and Korean Air. The group had a similar goal to many others - offering a robust, interconnected, and global network to all its passengers. This goal would be achieved in the following years as the alliance continued to grow.

The foundations of SkyTeam were actually set a year before its commencement. In 1999, Delta and Air France signed an exclusive long-term strategic agreement, which became the bedrock for the subsequent alliance.

A Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900 taxiing.
Photo: Karolis Kavolelis/Shutterstock

However, SkyTeam was not the first airline alliance. The Star Alliance was founded in 1997, and oneworld quickly followed in 1998. By comparison, the launch of SkyTeam took much longer, coming a good two years after the previous alliances. This also meant fewer choices of major partner airlines since many had joined the other two alliances. However, none of this deterred SkyTeam's progress, which became a powerhouse in a matter of a few years.

Interestingly, all three alliances were anchored by a carrier in North America, Europe, and Asia, maximizing global connectivity and ensuring all key routes were covered. In the years that followed, each added partners in vital regions like the Middle East, Africa, and South America, but the anchors remain firm.

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Beginnings

From the beginning, SkyTeam offered a robust global network, more so than its rivals at their foundings. While Delta led the alliance's US operations, competing with American and United on dozens of routes, the real difference came from Air France and Aeromexico.

In addition to being one of the biggest European carriers, offering robust connectivity across the busy continent, Air France has long had an impressive number of African destinations. This meant that SkyTeam already had access to the long-haul African market from the start, a significant advantage.

An Air France A350 flying in the sky.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The second big difference was the membership of Aeromexico. The airline opened up dozens of routes in the Caribbean and South America, offering better connectivity to passengers around the globe, especially from the US.

Similarly, Korean Air was the alliance's anchor in East Asia, competing with the likes of Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. While still smaller than both, Korean ensured that SkyTeam had a strong network in the region for connecting passengers. With a presence in four continents, SkyTeam was off to a strong start.

Heating up

In the years that followed, SkyTeam quickly grew from its four members. Czech Airlines and Alitalia joined in 2001, boosting the group's presence in Europe. SkyTeam then picked up access to several crucial domestic markets in 2004.

Aeroflot joined the alliance that year, making it an essential hub for Eastern Europe routes and long-haul connections. Note that the Russian flag carrier was suspended in February 2022 following the country's invasion of Ukraine and remains unable to share resources with alliance members.

Continental Airlines, KLM, and Northwest all joined the alliance on the same day in 2004. This was a game-changer for SkyTeam, growing its yearly traffic exponentially and allowing it to overtake oneworld as the world's second-largest, yet youngest, airline alliance, a rank it still holds today.

A China Southern Airlines Airbus A350-900 On The Ground.
Photo: Airbus

The entry of China Southern, one of the nation's largest carriers, was another major coup for the airline, opening the second-largest market in the world to SkyTeam.

Mergers

Despite the early successes of SkyTeam in its first five years, the 2008 financial crisis hit the group hard. A series of airline mergers in the US meant the alliance lost several notable carriers quickly. Continental and COPA both left following an acquisition by United (and subsequently joined the Star Alliance). Northwest was merged with Delta, streamlining operations and reducing the fleet count.

Delta Air Lines SkyTeam Livery Boeing 767
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

However, things quickly bounced back for the alliance. The entry of Vietnam Airlines in 2019 was a strategic win for SkyTeam, which now had a presence in the busy Southeast Asian market. Moreover, China Eastern (and Shanghai Airlines, a Star Alliance member) joining in 2011 solidified the alliance's presence in the country, making it formidable in the domestic and international markets.

Notably, SkyTeam has been unable to make significant inroads into Oceania. This is because both major airlines from the region, Qantas and Air New Zealand, are members of the oneworld and Star Alliance, respectively, leaving few opportunities to grow. Attempts to tempt Virgin Australia ended following the pandemic after the carrier solidified a relationship with United instead, bringing it closer to the Star Alliance fold.

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Changes

SkyTeam continued to expand into the 2010s. In 2012, the alliance added its first Middle Eastern carrier, Saudia. With Emirates and Etihad going it alone and Qatar Airways joining oneworld, Saudia's entry was important for SkyTeam. The same year, Middle East Airlines (MEA) joined the alliance as well, significantly boosting the group's presence in the MENA region.

A KLM Cargo Boeing 747 flying in the sky.
Photo: Bjoern Wylezich / Shutterstock

Notably, SkyTeam was the first to found a cargo alliance as well. Known as SkyTeam Cargo, this has been one of the few significant freight partnerships among airlines. The group currently has 13 members and a robust global network.

In 2019, SkyTeam carried an impressive 630 million with its 19 members in over 1,036 destinations. This put the group squarely between Star Alliance (752 million) and oneworld (535 million). However, the same year saw China Southern exit the alliance, impacting future passenger numbers.

Data post-pandemic has been harder to compile, but SkyTeam states it carried 437 million passengers in 2021/22, serving over 1,050 destinations in 161 countries. While it has lost members over the years, the alliance also added two members since 2021, boosting traffic and ensuring a solid future.

Current and new members

SkyTeam currently has 19 active members, which are: Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeroméxico, Air Europa (set to leave), Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, ITA Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and XiamenAir.

ITA Airways broke SkyTeam's seven-year membership drought in 2021, even though it was replacing Alitalia, which had been shut down and purchased by the new Italian flag carrier. The 20th member, Aeroflot, is currently suspended from the alliance due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350 about to land.
Photo: InsectWorld/Shutterstock

One carrier that was long-rumored but yet to join was Virgin Atlantic. Partly owned by Delta Air Lines and extensively coordinating with Air France and KLM, the carrier was a shoo-in and took the leap in March 2023, becoming the 21st official member of the SkyTeam alliance. It brings with it massive transatlantic capacity and presence at London Heathrow, rivaling oneworld anchor British Airways.

The frequent flyer perspective

One of the most significant benefits of airline alliances is the reciprocal recognition of status. Earning elite status with any of the 20 members will give you access to two tiers: SkyTeam Elite or SkyTeam Elite Plus. The alliance has worked hard to offer benefits globally, with 970 airports having 'SkyPriority' lanes, allowing for elite and premium passengers to enjoy priority check-in, security, boarding, and even immigration at times.

A Delta SkyPriority queue sign at an airport check in area.
Photo: RYO Alexandre / Shutterstock

Where the carrier misses out is lounge access. Airlines tend to have stricter rules compared to Star Alliance or oneworld, especially Delta's Sky Clubs, and many facilities are operated by Plaza Premium, allowing other members to access them. While each airline hub has solid offerings, third cities tend to suffer, and reciprocal access is complicated even at Elite Plus. However, benefits like an extra bag at even the Elite level can make the proposition attractive compared to the Star Alliance.

What do you think about SkyTeam? Where could they improve? Let us know in the comments!