Star Alliance is represented in Northeast Asia by All Nippon Airways and Asiana. ANA will be one of the launch customers for the Boeing 787, with deliveries to begin in 2008. An ANA 767 is pictured landing at Nagoya Airport Japan in October 2002.

Not all airlines remain members: Ansett Australia ceased operations in 2002 and Mexicans (one of whose A320s is seen here) left Star (for oneworld) last year.

Finland's Blue1, the former Air Botnia, became Star Alliance's first regional member last year and provides a feeder service for other members.

As Varig had already made preliminary marketing agreements with Lufthansa and United Airlines, it came as no surprise that it became the first airline to join the alliance after the launch members.

State-owned TAP has enhanced representation in western Europe, but crucially offers connections to South America.

Lufthansa was one of the founder members of the Alliance and has associations with Air China and Shanghai Airlines, which may be of help in the Alliance’s aim to obtain a Chinese member. Star members often paint an aircraft in the Alliance livery, as here with a Lufthansa Boeing 747-400.

South African Airways will introduce Africa to the network and is planning a mini-hub at Dakar (Senegal), mirroring its set-up in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). If fed sufficiently by other African airlines, Dakar could stimulate additional transatlantic business for the alliance.