"One of the greatest benefits SkyTeam offers its customers is greater control over their own travel time and schedule," said Dominique Patry, chairman of the SkyTeam Steering Committee and vice president alliances and international affairs at Air France. "As our members have expanded their networks for the 2006 summer travel season, SkyTeam has enhanced its offering with additional destinations, increasing customer options for travel."

SkyTeam offers service to 37 new destinations this summer, including key locations in the high-growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific:
§ With the incorporation of Aeroflot into the SkyTeam network, passengers have greater access to the Russian Federation and surrounding regions, with 25 new destinations never before served by SkyTeam, including Krasnoyarsk and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, a destination popular for its natural beauty and fishing, cultural and coastal tours, as well as an international oil exploration project.
§ Other new destinations in Central and Eastern Europe include Minsk, Belarus; Odessa, Ukraine, an important trade center that is referred to as the "Pearl of the Black Sea" and is also popular for its beaches and architecture; and Katowice, Poland.
§ SkyTeam continues to bring passengers new and diverse European destinations, including Billund, Denmark; and Lampedusa, Italy. For an island getaway, visit Pantelleria, Italy, known as the "Black Pearl of the Sun." Due to its location between Europe and Africa, Pantelleria is a destination influenced by many cultures, among them Phoenician, Roman, and Arabic.
§ Europe-bound travelers can also reach Leipzig, Germany, popular for its unique shops, energetic cultural scene and lively bars, as well as its historical ties to Felix Mendelssohn and Johan Sebastian Bach.
§ In Japan, passengers can now travel via the SkyTeam network to Komatsu and trading port Hakodate.
§ As China continues to be a strong market of growth and focus, SkyTeam adds Chengdu, the capital of the "Heavenly State" and natural habitat of great pandas, to its list of destinations served. Animal lovers will enjoy visiting the world's only giant panda breeding and research base this summer. The addition of Chengdu brings SkyTeam service to China to 20 destinations.
§ Travelers to and within North America will have access to Southern Pines, North Carolina; and Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, this summer. Adventure vacationers will enjoy diverse Moncton activities, such as rappelling off cliffs overlooking the highest tides in the world; walking the ocean floor; and exploring inlets in a sea kayak.

In April, SkyTeam welcomed Aeroflot, bringing an additional 302 daily departures to the alliance offering. With the expected addition of China Southern, as well as several Associate Airline candidates, SkyTeam continues to focus on markets experiencing and forecasted for growth.

"SkyTeam is poised for continued growth in key markets over the next several years," said Patry. "We continue to demonstrate our strong positioning with additions to our network because we recognize the needs of our customers for greater access globally and more efficient connectivity to popular business and leisure markets."

The International Air Transport Association's (IATA) five-year forecast predicts rapid growth in Asia-Pacific and Central Europe, forecasting a 6.8% passenger traffic increase in Asia-Pacific, a 5.1% increase in Europe and a 5.9% increase from Europe to Asia-Pacific. (IATA 2005-2009 Forecast, October 31, 2005) As global travel rebounds, travelers are demanding more choices in terms of destinations and flight options. Summer 2006 sees the addition of destinations in these regions to the already robust SkyTeam network.

Source: Press release