The suspension of Russian national carrier Aeroflot comes a week after the suspension of another Russian airline company, S7, from the Oneworld alliance.
1. Temporary decision
Russia’s largest airline, Aeroflot, will no longer be part of the SkyTeam Alliance, after a statement announcing that both entities had agreed to “temporarily suspend” the airline’s membership. Even though no reason was presented for such decision, it’s highly likely that the move is related to Russian’s invasion of Ukraine.
We are working to limit the impact for customers and will inform those affected by any changes to SkyTeam benefits and services.
Statement from SkyTeam Alliance
2. SkyTeam Alliance
SkyTeam Alliance’s businesses offer passengers a more seamless travel experience by providing tailored services in partnership with airlines. According to the company’s website, SkyTeam Alliance is composed of 19 member airlines working together across an extensive global network, which welcomes 676 million customers each year.
Formed after Star Alliance and Oneworld, SkyTeam operates routes to more than 1,036 destinations across 170 countries. Some of its members include KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France, Korean Air, China Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Saudia, Air Europa and Vietnam Airlines.
3. Oneworld
The suspension of Russia’s Aeroflot from the SkyTeam Alliance comes after the suspension of another Russian airline company, S7, from the Oneworld frequent flyer alliance. With a similar way of operating business, Oneworld alliance members include some of the world’s leading airlines and nearly 30 affiliated carriers. The suspension of S7 was seen as another move to isolate Russia from the global aviation sector following its offensive against Ukraine.
Many countries, including the US, UK, Canada and some European countries, have already closed their airspace to Russian airline companies. However, Serbia is among the few European nations that have not imposed any sanctions on Russia. Its flag carrier, Air Serbia, recently announced that it will continue its operations to Russia.
