Passengers coming from China may now travel to more Central Asian and Middle Eastern cities at cheaper prices and with fewer flight transfer as routes from Air China, Shanghai Airlines and Turkish Airlines will be linked.

The move comes after Turkish Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Star Alliance on December 9. Air China and Shanghai Airlines signed similar MOUs with the alliance in May.

Star Alliance is one of the world's largest airline networks, and shares flight routes and other resources among its members.

Li Jiaxiang, chairman of Air China, told China Daily: "Turkish Airlines' joining Star Alliance is great news for Air China. We are planning to expand co-operation soon."

The number of passengers travelling between China and Turkey has risen rapidly in recent years, though the proportion is still relatively small in terms of global passenger flow.

Turkish Airlines Cargo is also seeking co-operation opportunities with the two Chinese airlines in its business expansion of cargo services.

Jaan Albrecht, Star Alliance CEO said: "The Turkish Airlines will extend the alliance to include the two Chinese airlines' networks with a fleet of 101 aircraft and 131 destinations in 68 countries."

Meanwhile, Istanbul, the airline's home base and the crossroads of Europe and Asia, will serve as an important hub.

Under the Star Alliance umbrella, Air China and Shanghai Airlines will expand their customer offerings in terms of sharing Turkish Airlines' network coverage, incorporating frequent flier benefits and sharing VIP lounges.

Temel Kotil, Turkish Airlines' CEO, explained that joining Star Alliance may include co-location at airports, joint lounges, electronic ticketing, joint media purchasing and joint aircraft and oil purchasing.

However, the airline will need to complete an integration process before becoming a full member, which will take about 16 months.

The two Chinese airlines are also working on the integration process.

Li Jiaxiang said: "The integration is going very smoothly. We are expecting to pass the evaluation of the alliance and become a full member in December 2007."

Shanghai Airlines has set up an alliance office to deal with relevant issues, particularly integration.

Fan Hongxi, president of Shanghai Airlines, said that the carrier is pouring employee efforts into the integration process, which will eventually help increase its core competitiveness.