Star Alliance, the first global airline alliance, was founded in 1997. The Star Alliance network includes 24 airline companies, with SAS Scandinavian Airlines as one of its founders. The first regional partner, Blue1, joined the Alliance in 2004.
Star Alliance carries over 400 million passengers to 965 airports and 162 countries around the world every year. This number is equal to more than one quarter of the global airline travel industry. In 2007, the fleet consisted of over 2 700 aircraft operating nearly 16 000 daily flights. Star Alliance personnel also exceeded 350 000 for the first time in 2007.
Star Alliance is an essential part of the global partner and network strategy of the SAS Group. It offers all travelers a seamless and large flight network, convenient travel, and global customer service and benefits.