Monday, November 26, Air France-KLM and China Southern Airlines have signed an agreement on the extension of joint venture. For the occasion, Liu Shaoyong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of China Eastern Airlines, Tang Bing, Executive Managing Director of China Eastern Airlines, Anne-Marie Couderc, President of Air France-KLM and Air France, Benjamin Smith , CEO of Air France-KLM and Air France, and Pieter Elbers, President and CEO of KLM, were present.

As part of this expanded agreement, the three airlines of the SkyTeam alliance (Air France, KLM and China Eastern Airlines) plan to expand by 1 January 2019 their joint venture partnership with two additional routes: Paris-Wuhan and Paris -Kunming. Air France, KLM and China Eastern Airlines will offer their respective customers including new routes by code-sharing, and develop opportunities correspondence. Air France-KLM and China Southern Airlines and further developing their strategic business partnership to offer an ever wider offers customers traveling between Europe and China.

"I am very pleased to finalize this agreement with China Eastern Airlines," said Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM and Air France. "This major agreement embodies the goals we expressed last July. Our strong strategic partnership and long-term with China Eastern Airlines enables our customers to benefit from an even richer offering and harmonized among all companies. China is a key market for the Air France-KLM group, growth is strong there, and we need to offer our customers the best travel experience. "

Liu Shaoyong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of China Eastern Airlines added: "It is a pleasure to live this historical moment in cooperation with Air France and KLM. The document we signed today is not only an extension of our joint-venture is also a sign of our continued joint commitment to offer the best service to our customers with optimized and correspondence greater choice of flights. Through this second stage of joint venture, China Eastern Airlines strengthens its cooperation with Air France and KLM to serve the travelers the best of their offerings. "

Air France-KLM and China Eastern Airlines, a strong and lasting relationship

Air France and China Southern Airlines began their collaboration in 2000 as a code-share on the Paris-Shanghai route. The partnership was consolidated in 2012 through a joint venture agreement. KLM has joined the joint venture in 2016, extending the agreement to the Amsterdam-Shanghai route.

Since October 2017, China Eastern Airlines holds 8.8% of the capital of Air France-KLM and has an administrator at the Air France-KLM Board of Directors.