Aerolíneas Argentinas, the flag carrier of Argentina, will sign an agreement by the end of October to officially start the process of joining SkyTeam as the first South American member of the airline alliance. Customers will benefit from increased access to and from Latin America.

SkyTeam is actively working to strengthen its presence in Latin America, a region with strong growth figures and a positive outlook for the future. Aerolíneas Argentinas, which is expected to join SkyTeam in 2012, fits perfectly in SkyTeam’s growth strategy. Welcoming the first South American airline to become a full member is a significant step towards enhancing the global network of the alliance. Aerolíneas Argentinas initiated a long-term plan to expand and revitalize its business.

Through a five-year restructuring plan introduced last year, Aerolíneas Argentinas is implementing a number of measures to strengthen its business model and establish itself as a major player in Latin America. Key elements of this plan include fleet renewal and rationalization, adding key international destinations, increasing the density of the domestic and regional network and improving product quality and consistency.

SkyTeam has made significant progress in attracting new members in its 10th anniversary year. In June the alliance welcomed Vietnam Airlines and TAROM as new members. In addition, SkyTeam announced that China Eastern and China Airlines would join the group in 2011, cementing the alliances’ No. 1 position in the Greater China region. SkyTeam is actively working on further extending its global network by looking for additional members from regions such as Southeast Asia, India and Latin America.