Delta Air Lines Welcomes China Airlines into SkyTeam Alliance

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Sep 28, 2011, 04:00 ET

TAIPEI, Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today welcomes China Airlines as an official member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance, further enhancing the alliance's industry leading position in the region.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090202/DELTALOGO )

"Delta is delighted and honoured to welcome China Airlines into the SkyTeam alliance," said Ed Bastian, Delta's president, who attended the official joining ceremony in Taipei alongside representatives from fellow SkyTeam member airlines. "The addition of this well respected airline complements Delta's existing service to Taiwan and with China Airline's strong hub in Taipei our customers will benefit from improved access to one of the world's fastest-growing regions."

Headquartered in Taipei, China Airlines is the largest airline of Taiwan, home to one of the world's most dynamic technology-driven economies. The China Airlines network will complement those of Guangzhou-based China Southern and Shanghai-based China Eastern, both current SkyTeam members. China Airlines' route network covers Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and will help customers connect to flights of SkyTeam partners worldwide.

About SkyTeam

SkyTeam is a global airline alliance providing customers from member airlines access to an extensive global network with more destinations, more frequencies and more connectivity. Passengers can earn and redeem Frequent Flyer Miles throughout the SkyTeam network. SkyTeam member airlines offer customers over 490 lounges worldwide. The fifteen members are: Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, TAROM and Vietnam Airlines. SkyTeam offers its 487 million annual customers globally over 14,500 daily flights to 926 destinations in 173 countries.

www.skyteam.com / www.facebook.com/skyteam / www.youtube.com/user/skyteam

About Delta

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year, and was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 339 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, a world-class airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com..