China Southern to Exit SkyTeam Alliance, Target New Partners
- Airline says decision is because of its own strategic needs
- China Southern seeks further ties with carriers including AA
A China Southern Airlines Co. SkyTeam alliance aircraft taxis at the Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Asia’s biggest carrier is abandoning the SkyTeam airline alliance.
China Southern Airlines Co. will exit the partnership in 2019, nearly two years after selling a minority stake to American Airlines Inc., which is a member of the rival Oneworld group. The Guangzhou-based carrier, the continent’s largest as measured by passengers carried, said in a statement that it will seek partners outside of the alliance to build up a global network.