The Belgian airliner Brussels Airlines is joining the Star Alliance, the largest umbrella alliance in the aviation sector. The news was announced in Chicago in the United States.

Star Alliance was formed in 1997. It is an umbrella alliance between a couple of large airliners and some small airlines. The partnership offers benefits to some of the smaller partners.

Brussels Airlines was invited to become a member of the Star Alliance because it was partly taken over by the German airliner Lufthansa, which is a major member of the alliance. The location of Brussels Airlines is also said to be 'strategic'.

Being a member of the Star Alliance strengthens the position of Brussels Airlines in the market. It offers the passengers more advantages as well, says aviation specialist Luk De Wilde from Chicago.

The connections are better, he points out: “The alliance offers a network of destinations all over the world. So, you can leave from Brussels without having to worry about your luggage or the paper work," points out Luk De Wilde.

The Star Alliance airlines are well-connected. This year the Star Alliance served 975 locations in 162 countries daily with more than 18,100 departing flights.

(flandersnews.be/Expatica)