Addition of Avianca in STAR endorsed strategic network development by adding more hub to hub connections

WARSAW, Poland：LOT Polish Airlines, a Star Alliance member carrier, outlined its new strategy very recently, as well as hosting Star Alliance's big occasion to endorse enhancements of further improving the network travel experience for customers and to give the go-ahead for the inclusion of a new member in Brazil.

As host of the mid-year Chief Executive Board (CEB) Meeting of Star Alliance, LOT outlined its new strategy – a new LOT in a new Europe – under which it plans to double in size over the next five years.

In addition to three new connections to Asia – Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok – the east-Europe carrier plans more than a dozen new European routes. Announcing the most dynamic growth in the company's history, LOT said it was competing for leadership in the region and aimed to become the largest network carrier in New Europe.

At the CEB Meeting in Warsaw, CEOs of Stat Alliance member carriers reaffirmed the objectives set out by the Alliance's founding fathers, agreeing to continue to build on its key strengths – a global network, a high standard of customer service and making use of modern technology to drive business strategies.

Star Alliance's aim at launch in May 1997 was to become the leading global airline alliance for the high value international travelers and contribute to the long-term profitability of its member airlines beyond their individual capabilities.

“As a mature Alliance with a comprehensive network and good, close relationships between our member airlines we are excellently placed to offer continuous enhancements in various ways that together improve the Alliance travel experience,” said Star Alliance CEO Mark Schwab.

Avianca in Brazil will be added to the network as of July 22nd this year, allowing Star Alliance once again to offer its customers domestic flights in Latin America's largest and most important market.

Carrier CEOs reiterated that while adding new members to the Alliance no longer is of the same importance as some years ago, the Alliance business model continues to offer many opportunities for creating additional value for their individual companies. As a consequence, Alliance membership remains an important and integral part of individual member's business plans, with each airline being able to decide how much value they wish to extract from their Alliance membership.

“We are delighted that we can include Avianca in Brazil as of next month, which, together with various new hub-to-hub services announced by individual members, signifies that we will boost network connectivity this year,” Schwab added.

2015 has already seen a steady stream of route additions and more new routes will be introduced by the end of the year. These include for example further increasing choice at the Alliance's Houston hub, with new long-haul flights by Air New Zealand, ANA and EVA Air from Auckland, Tokyo and Taipei. Air China has launched a new flight between Beijing and Montreal while Air Canada will start flying from Toronto to Delhi in December. A new Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Panama will establish an important link between a major hub in Europa and Latin America from late November.

Complementing the network expansions, member carriers are deepening their bilateral cooperation by signing code-share agreements. Recent examples include Air India and Air New Zealand, Air India and Avianca, Copa and TAP and EVA Air and Turkish Airlines.

In parallel to this organic network growth, the Alliance continues to monitor market developments and will seize opportunities for membership expansion if and when they arise.

With customer service improvement at the very heart of its activities, the member airlines are continuously looking for joint initiatives that will deliver a better experience – in many cases by introducing new behind the scenes technology to improve transactions between the carriers.

The most recent example of how such background changes can bring visible change for customers is demonstrated by Star Alliance's award- winning home in London Heathrow Terminal 2, now one year old.