TAM and Lufthansa Sign Memorandum of Understanding
May 21 2007 - 3:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Companies working to establish cooperation for codesharing and
other advantages for customers SAO PAULO, Brazil, May 21
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TAM (Bovespa: TAMM4 and NYSE: TAM) and
Lufthansa signed a Memorandum of Understanding today, in a starting
point for a possible close cooperation. In the coming months, the
two companies will examine various forms of cooperation. The first
step will be the implementation of codesharing on domestic and
international routes. Other possibilities include the optimization
of the two companies' flight schedules and linking TAM's frequent
flyer program, Fidelidade, with Lufthansa's Miles & More, as
well as reciprocal sharing of VIP lounges in a number of airports.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060418/SPTU001LOGO )
"We are happy to find a trusted and professional partner in TAM in
the growing Brazilian market," said Gotz Ahmelmann, Lufthansa's
Vice President for Alliances, Strategy and Subsidiaries. "Both
companies are distinguished as innovators and for their high levels
of quality and credibility. Our customers will soon benefit from
our cooperation," added Jens Bischof, Lufthansa's Vice President
for the Americas. For Marco Antonio Bologna, President of TAM, the
partnership with Lufthansa is in line with the company's strategy
to seek alliances with leading companies in destination markets.
"We are going to explore possible synergies between the two
companies' networks, and in doing so, we can offer new choices for
flights in both Brazil and Germany." Paulo Castello Branco, Vice
President for Planning and Alliances, adds that TAM will have a
local partner in the German market with a broad service network.
Currently, the Lufthansa group offers 20 flights a week between Sao
Paulo and its three hubs in Frankfurt and Munich (Lufthansa), as
well as Zurich (SWISS). Passengers coming from Brazil's economic
metropolis arrive at their destinations in Europe, Asia, the Middle
East and Africa with only one stop, and rapid transfers. In
addition, Lufthansa provides daily service to its Latin American
destinations in Mexico, Caracas, Buenos Aires and Santiago, Chile
(SWISS). In total, Lufthansa serves 192 destinations in 78
countries. Investor Relations Contact: Press Agency Contact: Phone:
(55) (11) 5582-9715 Phone: (55) (11) 5582-8167 Fax: (55) (11)
5582-8149 Fax: (55) (11) 5582-8155 http://www.tam.com.br/ri About
TAM: The company (http://www.tam.com.br/) has been the Brazilian
domestic market leader since July 2003, and closed last April with
a 50.72% market share. The company flies to 49 destinations
throughout Brazil. With the commercial agreements executed with
regional companies, it reaches 76 destinations in the national
territory. TAM's operations in South America include direct flights
to Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Santiago (Chile). Within six
months, TAM will start operating daily flights to Caracas,
Venezuela. With TAM Mercosur, it also serves Asuncion and Ciudad
del Este (Paraguay), Cordoba (Argentina), Montevideo (Uruguay), and
Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba (Bolivia). In April, TAM's
international market share was 69.7% among Brazilian airlines.
International operations include long-haul direct flights to the
following destinations: New York and Miami (USA), Paris (France),
London (England) and Milan (Italy). It also maintains commercial
agreements with international companies that allow passengers to
fly to a wide variety of destinations worldwide. A pioneer in the
launch of a Loyalty Program for airlines in Brazil, TAM currently
has 3.8 million members and has awarded more than 4.2 million
tickets. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060418/SPTU001LOGO
DATASOURCE: TAM CONTACT: Investors, +011-55-11-5582-9715, fax,
+011-55-11-5582-8149, , or Media, +011-55-11-5582-8167, fax,
+011-55-11-5582-8155, Web site: http://www.tam.com.br/
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