Xiamen Airlines joins SkyTeam Alliance

China's Xiamen Airlines has joined SkyTeam, a global airline alliance, becoming its fourth member from Greater China.

The airline joins China Southern and China Eastern on the mainland as well as the Taipei-based China Airlines to the SkyTeam.

A ceremony in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, on Wednesday was attended by representatives from the airline, SkyTeam as well as the alliance's 18 other member airlines.

Che Shanglun, Xiamen Airlines president and general manager, said,"Joining the SkyTeam not only brings more convenience for air travellers of China and other countries, but also helps introduce tourism resources of Fujian Province, such as Wuyi Mountain and Gulangyu Island, to the world."

Che also announced plans to launch long-haul flights from the province to New York, Vancouver, Paris, Amsterdam and Sydney by introducing six wide-body Boeing 787 aircraft.

Established in 1984, Xiamen Airlines is based in Fujian's coastal city of Xiamen. It has more than 250 routes, with the network extending to 50 cities and nearly 4,000 weekly flights. Annual passenger transport capacity has reached 17 million.

The SkyTeam's 19 members fly to more than 1,000 cities in 187 countries, serving 552 million passengers annually.