History Star Alliance
10 years Star Alliance from “The airline network for Earth” to “The way the Earth connects” .
When the Star Alliance network was founded in 1997 it was the right idea at the right time. Globalisation had started to change the business world and the needs of business travellers from the ground up. The founders of Star Alliance responded by creating an airline alliance, which was the first of its kind and still is the most successful in every respect.
Usually the world advances in small steps. But from time to time there are those leaps forward that take us to the next level - ideas that have the power to change an entire industry or even to touch everyone’s lives. In aviation, the 1950s saw the advent of jet airplanes that made the world shrink. In the 1970s the introduction of jumbo jets helped to make flying affordable for everybody. And ten years ago in 1997, it was the creation of the Star Alliance network that revolutionised the way people travel. Star Alliance is not only the first but the largest airline alliance in the world. With 16,000 departures per day and a combined fleet of nearly 2,800 airplanes, its 17 member airlines link 855 airports in 155 countries. The 407 million passengers of Star Alliance represent more than 27 per cent of the world’s air travel. Air China and Shanghai Airlines will join in 2007, complementing the alliance network in China. Turkish Airlines will follow in 2008, improving access to Central Asia and also providing more choice between Europe and Asia. Ten years after its creation there are only a few “white spots” left on the map of the alliance.
But as impressive as the numbers may be, sheer size has never been the main idea behind Star Alliance. The basis of this stunning success story is the realisation of the changing needs of travellers in a globalised world and the innovative way of serving them.
Page 1 of 5
Page 2 of 5
Air travel in the global village
In the 1990s the world saw an unprecedented economic
When the Star Alliance network was founded in 1997 it was the right idea at the right time. Globalisation had started to change the business world and the needs of business travellers from the ground up. The founders of Star Alliance responded by creating an airline alliance, which was the first of its kind and still is the most successful in every respect.
Usually the world advances in small steps. But from time to time there are those leaps forward that take us to the next level - ideas that have the power to change an entire industry or even to touch everyone’s lives. In aviation, the 1950s saw the advent of jet airplanes that made the world shrink. In the 1970s the introduction of jumbo jets helped to make flying affordable for everybody. And ten years ago in 1997, it was the creation of the Star Alliance network that revolutionised the way people travel. Star Alliance is not only the first but the largest airline alliance in the world. With 16,000 departures per day and a combined fleet of nearly 2,800 airplanes, its 17 member airlines link 855 airports in 155 countries. The 407 million passengers of Star Alliance represent more than 27 per cent of the world’s air travel. Air China and Shanghai Airlines will join in 2007, complementing the alliance network in China. Turkish Airlines will follow in 2008, improving access to Central Asia and also providing more choice between Europe and Asia. Ten years after its creation there are only a few “white spots” left on the map of the alliance.
But as impressive as the numbers may be, sheer size has never been the main idea behind Star Alliance. The basis of this stunning success story is the realisation of the changing needs of travellers in a globalised world and the innovative way of serving them.
Page 1 of 5
Page 2 of 5
Air travel in the global village
In the 1990s the world saw an unprecedented economic