Delta and Korean Air have formed a JV that will include
schedule coordination and revenue sharing on transpacific flights. Pending
regulatory approval, the JV would create a network of more than 290 Americas markets
and more than 80 Asian markets. When it is finalized, Delta and Korean Air plan
to expand codesharing and loyalty program reciprocation and create seamless
passenger and baggage service at their hubs.
The agreement also will reinforce Seoul's Incheon
International Airport "as a major international hub in Northeast Asia and
support the growth of Korea's aviation industry," according to Korean Air
chairman and CEO Yang Ho Cho.
Though they are alliance partners, the two carriers have had
a rocky relationship. But they've warmed to one another in recent years, including
codeshare expansion late last year. Additionally, the JV coincides with
Delta's shift
away of flights from Tokyo's Narita Airport.
The agreement does not affect Korean Air's codeshare
agreement with Delta competitor American Airlines, a spokesperson for
Korean Air confirmed.
This
summer, Korean will add a third daily flight between Seoul and Los Angeles and
a second flight between Seoul and San Francisco. Delta, meanwhile, will begin
service between Atlanta and Seoul in June, a route Korean Air already serves.