Greece’s Aegean Airlines Joins Star Alliance

Aegean Airlines is joining the Star Alliance airline network and expects to become a full member by 2010, the Greek carrier announced Tuesday. The 10-year-old private airline could face stiffer domestic competition after Greece’s government reached a deal in March to sell ailing state carrier Olympic Airlines to an investment group.

Aegean currently serves 17 Greek and 18 international destinations, while Star Alliance currently has 21 full members, including United Airlines and Lufthansa. By joining the alliance, Aegean will be able to cooperate with other major carriers on route scheduling and gain access to new markets.