The SkyTeam alliance continues to grow its footprint in the Asia-Pacific market, with recent recruit China Eastern to be joined by Taipei-based China Airlines next month.

This will bring the tally of SkyTeam airlines seen in Australian skies to six, says Rafael Despradel, Australian Sales & Marketing Manager for SkyTeam founding member Korean Air (alongside Korean Air currently sit China Eastern, China Southern, Delta and Vietnam Airlines).

"China Airlines is scheduled for September" Despradel told Australian Business Traveller, "and in 2012 with the addition of Aerolineas Argentinas and Garuda Indonesia, the number of carriers operating in Australia will increase to eight."

SkyTeam is also the lookout for the opportunity to etsbalish shared facilities, Despradel says, in keeping with the dedicated SkyTeam Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport and Prague Airport's joint ticketiing counter which opened in July this year.

"This simplifies connections and any customer service representative can assist customers, as well as providing the airlines with cost-sharing" Despradel explains.

"SkyTeam is focused on creating converegence in airport opeprations. It's mostly about synchronous operations within an airport and to give customers that seamless experience."