Aerolíneas Argentinas, Argentina's flag carrier, this month plans to sign an agreement to join SkyTeam, beginning its transition, expected to be complete in 2012, to become the first South American airline in the global alliance.
Latin America has become a focus area for growth by all the major airline alliances, and SkyTeam said it is working to attract even more carriers there, in addition to members from Southeast Asia and India.
SkyTeam said the Buenos Aires-based airline, which serves 34 destinations in Argentina and 18 international destinations, is in the midst of a "five-year restructuring plan introduced last year," through which the carrier "is implementing a number of measures to strengthen its business model and establish itself as a major player in Latin America," including renewing its fleet, expanding and deepening its route network and "improving product quality and consistency."