S7 Airlines has officially became a member of Oneworld, after a joining ceremony in Moscow.
Its subsidiary Globus has also joined the alliance, as an affiliate member.
The carriers have added a total of 84 destinations in 26 countries to Oneworld’s network, almost tripling the number of destinations served in Russia and eastern Europe.
S7, the alliance’s 12th full member, was supported through its 18-month induction period by British Airways (BA).
Vladislav Filev, S7’s CEO, said joining Oneworld will allow the airline to move into the next phase of its development, and step “firmly on the global stage”.
“Today represents the start of a new and exciting era for S7, as we take one of the most significant steps in our airline’s history,” he said.
Willie Walsh, CEO of BA, S7’s Oneworld sponsor, said: “Our aim has always been to establish oneworld as the world’s pre-eminent and most successful global airline alliance.”
He said the alliance’s focus on quality means it is selective in the airlines it invites to join.
“We only consider carriers who match the quality of our existing members – in their approach to customer service, innovation, safety and security,” said Walsh.
“Oneworld has added another great airline, the best, we firmly believe, in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States – S7.”
Oneworld is set to expand further in the next 18 months, with the addition of India's Kingfisher Airlines and Germany's Air berlin.