Happy Anniversary SkyTeam

CHINA SOUTHERN A330-323 B-5970 (CN 1645)         File Photo

• China Southern joined SkyTeam in 2007 and exited the alliance in 2018.

On the 22nd June 2000, representatives of Delta Air Lines, Aeroméxico, Air France, and Korean Air held a meeting in New York to form a third airline alliance. (SkyTeam was the last of the three major airline alliances to be formed, the first two being Star Alliance and Oneworld.) These became the four founding carriers of SkyTeam. Upon its formation, SkyTeam would offer its customers a total of 6,402 daily flights to 451 destinations in 98 countries. In September 2000, the alliance established a cargo alliance, SkyTeam Cargo. The group's inaugural members were Aeromexpress, Air France Cargo, Delta Air Logistics and Korean Air Cargo. The following month, SkyTeam announced its intentions to incorporate CSA (Czech Airlines) as the 5th member early the following year. CSA Czech Airlines joined on the 25th of March 2001; Alitalia entered SkyTeam on the 27th of July the same year, with its membership scheduled to become effective 1st of November that year. On the 30th of September 2003, the alliance received KLM's application for membership, following the airline's plans to create a leading airline group with Air France. Skyteam's annual passenger count is 730 million, the largest of the three major alliances. Its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, is based at the World Trade Centre Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands.

In 2004, the alliance had its biggest expansion when Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines and KLM simultaneously joined as full members. In 2010, along with the joining or upgrading status of four airlines, followed by the announcements of Aerolíneas Argentina's, China Airlines, and Garuda Indonesia to become full members, the alliance celebrated its 10th anniversary with the introduction of a new special livery. The livery consisted of an all-metallic silver fuselage and a dark blue empennage with SkyTeam's logo on it. The alliance emblem is painted on both sides of the fuselage. The SkyTeam livery is  currently worn by 52 aircraft worldwide. In January 2011, SkyTeam incorporated both Saudi Arabian Airlines and Middle East Airlines during 2012; these events effectively took place in May and June 2012, respectively, whereas Aerolíneas Argentina's and Xiamen Airlines memberships were activated in August and November the same year, respectively. Garuda Indonesia entered the alliance in March 2014.

CHINA EASTERN A330-243 B-5908 (CN 1372)       File Photo

SkyTeam flies to 1,150 destinations in more than 175 countries and operates more than 14,500 daily flights moving 630 million passengers annually. The alliance and its members have 750 lounges worldwide.
As of January 2019, SkyTeam consists of 19 carriers from five continents and operates with the slogan "Caring more about you".

Member airlines

Full members and their member affiliates

Member airline	Joined	Member affiliates
Aeroflot	14 April 2006	N/A
Aerolíneas Argentinas	29 August 2012	N/A
Aeroméxico	22 June 2000	N/A
Air Europa	4 September 2007	N/A
Air France	22 June 2000	N/A
Alitalia	13 January 2009	Alitalia CityLiner
China Airlines	28 September 2011	N/A
China Eastern Airlines	21 June 2011	Shanghai Airlines
Czech Airlines	25 March 2001	N/A
Delta Air Lines	22 June 2000	N/A
Garuda Indonesia	5 March 2014	N/A
Kenya Airways	4 September 2007]	N/A
KLM	13 September 2004	N/A
Korean Air	22 June 2000	Jin Air
Middle East Airlines	28 June 2012	N/A
Saudia	29 May 2012	N/A
TAROM	25 June 2010	N/A
Vietnam Airlines	10 June 2010	N/A
XiamenAir	21 November 2012	N/A

Continental and COPA joined SkyTeam in 2004 and exited the alliance in 2009
www.skyteam.com

Story sourced from both Wikipedia and Skyteam website.