Skyteam: A Strategic Alliance

摘要

This paper began with a brief history of the development of the airplane and the airline industry in the United States and Europe. Use of aircraft for mail delivery and passenger travel was discussed as well as political environments and stages of development which led to the emergence of airlines themselves. As airlines developed and international travel became common, international political considerations of this activity were examined. This activity impacted the development of use of strategic alliances in the airline industry. Market-based economics were discussed, and the permitted level of cooperative effort among the airlines was examined from a historical and current point of view. To determine the impact of strategic alliances in the air transport industry, a detailed examination of the structure and operational aspects of two member airlines in a newly formed alliance was conducted using historical and current information from industry sources in English and French. Each member airline, Delta Air Lines, and Air France, was examined with comparative reasoning in order to evaluate their operations in a standardized fashion. The analysis chapter, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the strategic alliances the member airlines had formed, was conducted using objective, industry-wide criteria. This analysis led to a conclusion that strategic alliances in the air transport industry are beneficial and essential to provide an Anywhere to Everywhere service to customers.