Delta has completed the acquisition of a 10% equity stake in Hanjin-KAL, the largest shareholder of Korean Air. This investment furthers Delta’s strategy of building equity stakes in its global partners and demonstrates the airline’s commitment to the success of its joint venture with Korean Air.
“Together with the team at Korean Air, we have a vision to deliver the world’s leading trans-Pacific joint venture for our shared customers, offering the strongest network, the best service and the finest experience connecting the U.S. with Asia,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “This is already one of our fastest-integrating and most successful partnerships, and experience tells us this investment will further strengthen our relationship as we continue to build on the value of the joint venture.”
Since launching in May 2018, Delta and Korean Air have strengthened cooperation by expanding joint operations in the trans-Pacific to include more than 1,400 codeshare flights, including connections throughout Asia and the U.S.
The partnership is contributing to Delta’s first year-over-year growth in the Asia Pacific region since 2012, with new service launched earlier this year between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Seoul, as well as Seattle and Osaka, operated in partnership with Korean Air. Additionally, Korean Air has launched new service linking Boston with Seoul.
The joint venture builds on nearly two decades of close partnership between Korean Air and Delta, both founding members of the SkyTeam airline alliance.
Delta completes Korean Air investment
