Asiana Membership Reinforces Leading Position of Star Alliance in China

    SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- With today's official
 welcoming of Asiana Airlines as its newest member, Star Alliance strongly
 reinforces its position as the leading airline alliance in terms of scheduled
 air service to and from mainland China.  The addition of the extensive route
 structure of the Korean carrier to the Star Alliance network means that Star
 Alliance member airlines will be serving 18 destinations in China with almost
 600 flights and a total capacity offering of more than 160,000 seats per week.
     Services to Hong Kong are not included in these figures.
     "Our new member, Asiana Airlines, is an invaluable asset with its strong
 presence in mainland China," said Jaan Albrecht, CEO of Star Alliance.
 "Mainland China has tremendous market potential in terms of air travel. The
 number of visitors to China is expected to grow at annual double-digit rates
 for years to come.  With the entry of Asiana into our group, Star Alliance
 offers by far the most comprehensive coverage in this fast-growing and
 important market.
     "Star Alliance will include a Chinese carrier one day," Jaan Albrecht
 continued.  "In the meantime, our current members are building up their
 presence in mainland China by adding destinations and frequencies.
     "Through the membership of Asiana Airlines, Star Alliance has been able to
 leapfrog the competition and can now offer its customers the strongest network
 of any alliance in China, as well as the most complete global access," he
 said.
     The Star Alliance summer timetable will include scheduled services to the
 following cities in mainland China:
 
     Guangzhou/CAN - Changchun/CGQ - Chongqing/CKG - Chengdu/CTU - Dalian/DLC -
 Hangzhou/HGH - Harbin/HRB - Kunming/KMG - Guilin/KWL - Nanjing/NKG -
 Beijing/PEK - Shanghai/PVG - Shenyang/SHE - Qingdao/TAO - Tianjin/TSN -
 Xian/XIY - Xiamen/XMN - Yantai/YNT.
 
     The destinations are being served by Star Alliance members Air Canada
 (28 flights per week), ANA - All Nippon Airways (130), Asiana Airlines (146),
 Austrian Airlines Group (10), Lufthansa German Airlines (42), SAS Scandinavian
 Airlines (14), Singapore Airlines (84), Thai Airways International (90) and
 United Airlines (42).
 
     Star Alliance was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline
 alliance to offer customers global reach and a smooth travel experience.  The
 members are Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA - All Nippon Airways, Asiana
 Airlines (as of March 1), Austrian Airlines Group, bmi, Lufthansa, Mexicana
 Airlines, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, United, and
 VARIG Brazilian Airlines.
     Spanair of Spain will officially join Star Alliance April 1, 2003 and LOT
 Polish Airlines is scheduled to join later in the year.
 
     For further information, please contact:  Stephan A. Roth, Director,
 Corporate Affairs, of Star Alliance, +1-310-643-7766.
 
 

SOURCE  Star Alliance