Welcoming MEA into SkyTeam will enable the alliance to strengthen its presence in the Middle East. This new membership responds to the alliance's ambition of enhancing its global expansion and increasing access to the Middle East, a region undergoing strong economic development. MEA will offer customers access to a global network of destinations, and the SkyTeam Frequent Flyer Programme and lounge network around the world.

This membership will further strengthen SkyTeam's presence in the Middle East, following on from Saudi Arabian Airlines that signed an agreement to join SkyTeam in 2012 on 10 January. The MEA and Saudi Arabian Airlines networks, which complement those of other SkyTeam airlines, will give customers access to Middle East destinations not yet served by the Alliance members. Passengers will now be able to access, via the main hubs of Saudi Arabian Airlines (Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman) and MEA (Beirut), new destinations in the Arabian Peninsula, Indian and African sub-continent such as Alexandria, Aden, Colombo and Islamabad.

The signing of this agreement will also strengthen historic ties between Air France and MEA, as the two airlines have been operating the Paris-Beirut service on a code-share basis since February 1999. On this route, MEA passengers can already earn miles and use award tickets. MEA's future membership of SkyTeam will ensure its continuing global expansion and allow to fully benefit from Air France and MEA's complementary networks in Europe and the Middle East.