News
Korean Air and Delta plan joint venture
March 3rd 2017
Korean Air and Delta Air Lines are planning a trans-Pacific joint venture that would give Delta more market share in Asia and open the U.S. hinterland to the South Korean flag carrier, Korean Air president, Walter Cho, told a media briefing in Incheon on Monday, reported Bloomberg. Read More »
"A joint venture between Delta and Korean Air could have about 14% of the trans-Pacific market -- slightly behind ANA-United’s 15% and ahead of Japan Airlines-American’s 10%," Bloomberg said.
Delta is in mid restructuring in the Asia-Pacific as it gradually shifts from its Tokyo Narita hub to Shanghai and Seoul. The Atlanta-based carrier took a minority holding in Shanghai’s China Eastern Airlines last year and Korean Air signed a considerable code share agreement with Delta, ending years of frosty and mutually punitive relations. Delta has terminated flights from Narita to Taipei, Manila and Bangkok.
The U.S. carrier will keep a strong presence in Japan although it is downsizing at Narita. It has been awarded two daytime slot pairs at Tokyo's downtown Haneda Airport from Los Angeles and Minneapolis. Delta will add a daily Incheon-Atlanta B777-200LR route in June.
