Star Alliance to Get Even Better : All Nippon Airways to Join

Bangkok--Oct 26--Star Alliance Star Alliance, the airline network for earth, will get even better with the announcement today that All Nippon Airways (ANA) of Japan, the world's sixth largest airline, intends to join in 1999 as the ninth member of the alliance. ANA wil join the six founding members of Star Alliance--Air Canada, Lufthansa German Airlines, SAS-Seandinavian Airlines System, Thai Airways International, United Airlines and VARIG Branzilian Airlines -- along with Air new Zealand and Ansett Australia, which have announced their intent to join in 1999. With the addition of ANA, Star Alliance customers will have improved access to the many important business destinations in Japan. ANA is Japan's largest domestic airline and offers the most comprehensive network of destinations in the country, in addition to its international route network. "Joining Star Aliance was for us the first step toward our goal of providing a truly scamless, global trave experience....we believe that this move will yield tremendous benefits for both ANA customers and customers of Star Alliance," said kichisaburo Nomura, President ant Chief Exceutive Officer of ANA. R. lamar Durrett, Prdsident and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada;Gerald Greenwald, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of United Airlines; Fernando Pinto, Prsident and Chief Executive Officer of VARIG; Jan Stengerg, President and Chief Executive Oofficer of SAS; Thamnoon Wanglee, President of THAI; and Jiirger Weber, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa, said in a joint statement, "With nine airlines working together, we will be able to deliver even more services to even more passengers. As part of Star Alliance, each airline can offer travelers all of the benefits of nine airlines in one place. We are very pleased that we can now offer our customers all of the eccellent services that come from ANA." Star Alliance trvelers collect frequent flyer points on al of Star Alliance airlines and credit them to their home airline account. Star Alliance business travelers visit airport Jounges of any member airline, anywhere in th world. Travelers benefit from schedules facitlities that are constantly being re-designed for better coordination and convenience. ANA has a flect of 143 Bocing and Airbus aircraft. Last year, ANA carried more than 40 million passengers. ANA seres 35 destinations in Japan with nearly 600 flights per day, and its international operations extend to 29 cities in 15 countries. Together, the member airlines of Star Alliance currently serve more tha t640 destinations around the world. on average, a Star Alliance flight takes off every 15 seconds, around the clock. With the addition of ANA, Air New Zealand and Ansett in 1999, Star Alliance will serve more than 700 destinations worldwide. End.

• ข่าวLufthansa German Airlines
• ข่าวUnited Airlines
• ข่าวStar Alliance
• ข่าวAir Canada
• ข่าวo:tran