Jat to join SkyTeam

Here comes Jat

According to Jat Airways’ CEO, the national carrier of Serbia will become a member of the SkyTeam Alliance after successful talks were held last week at the alliance’s headquarters in Amsterdam. Without any preconditions Jat Airways is expected to become a Skyteam “associate airline” by the end of October 2009. SkyTeam’s “associate airlines” division is the equivalent of Star Alliance’s regional member airlines. If the promise is fulfilled Jat will become the third associate SkyTeam airline, replacing Copa Airlines from Panama which will leave the alliance on October 24. The other two associate members are Air Europa from Spain and Kenya Airways. Together with the full alliance members there are a total of 14 airlines as a part of SkyTeam although Copa, Northwest Airlines and Continental Airlines will be leaving by the end of the year with Vietnam Airlines joining in 2010. Jat Airways’ membership will be sponsored by Air France-KLM. Jat’s CEO has said that the airline will benefit from the alliance as it will allow passengers to arrive to their destination sooner and will allow Jat to become part of a global airline network. SkyTeam is the second largest airline alliance after Star.

Once Jat becomes a SkyTeam member it will also become the third EX-YU airline to be part of a world wide alliance, after Croatia Airlines and Adria Arways. This news should be approached with caution as there has still been no official word from SkyTeam regarding Jat’s membership.