SkyTeam airlines are ready to move into Terminal Four at Heathrow at the end of March when BA moves out, Giorgio Callegari, vp alliances and business development for Alitalia, said.
He told a press briefing in London that BAA, owner of Heathrow, had invested £100m enlarging the terminal and re-vamping its access.
He said the 11 full members of SkyTeam would have portion of the terminal, about 30-40#% of its capacity, with their own check-in desks and self service kiosks.
Airside, the alliance was opening its first ever joint lounge in what is now the BA lounge.
Mr Callegari said the move would start as BA moved out to the new Terminal Five and be completed by February 2009.
He told a press briefing in London that the alliance had identified London in 2003 as a focus for expansion.
The need to enlarge services there had become more evident since the signing of the EU-US Open Skies agreement.
Four members airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines and Air France would all be starting new transatlantic services when the deal come into force at the end of March.
"We really plan to be able to leverage Heathrow as a hub outside of our main markets.
We have long haul partners which will offer connections to the short haul flights which will be moved to Terminal Four," he said.
Earlier Chul-Ho Hahm, senior vp international affairs for Korean Air, said that SkyTeam still planned to recruit new members in India, South East Asia and Latin America.
He said that India was a priority and while Air India had decided to join the rival Star Alliance, there were still "key players" in the country.
"We have had preliminary discussions but we don't anticipate making an immediate announcement," he said.
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