A Year Later, Delta-LATAM Joint Venture Yields Results

DALLAS — The joint venture between Delta Air Lines (DL) and LATAM (LA) yields six new routes a year after its launch. On October 29, 2023, the partners will also increase some current routes in addition to the six new routes.

This expansion will result in 15,000 flights transporting more than 3 million passengers and covering more than 56 million miles (90 million kilometers), which is equivalent to the distance between planet Earth and Mercury. The additions include:

new Medellin (MDE)-Miami (MIA) LA service
additional DL service between LIMA (LIM) and Atlanta (ATL)
a second flight DL between Atlanta and Bogota (BOG)

Continuing expansion in December will include:

new DL service between Atlanta and Cartagena (CTG)
seasonal DL service between New York (JFK) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG)
new year-round DL service between ATL and GIG

Delta, LATAM flight attendants. Photo: Delta Air Lines

Comments from LATAM, Delta Air Lines

Martin St. George, Chief Commercial Officer of LATAM Airlines Group, said: "Thanks to our alliance with Delta, our passengers can not only rely on more flights and faster connections to access over 300 destinations, but they can also enjoy greater benefits."

"We are thrilled to mark the first anniversary of our transformative partnership," said Alex Antilla, Vice President of Latin America for Delta Air Lines. "Together, we're connecting North and South America and attracting new customers. We've worked hard together to add exciting new routes, grow existing routes, and make travel easier, more enjoyable, and more rewarding for millions of customers."

The joint venture's inaugural year yielded a 10% increase in capacity at Miami, LATAM's main gateway to the United States. The partnership also resulted in a 50% increase in key routes connecting ATL to LATAM hubs in Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU); Bogota, Columbia; Lima, Peru; and Santiago, Chile (SCL).

Rephrased: On Friday, September 23, 2022, the US Department of Transportation approved the joint venture agreement between Delta Air Lines and LATAM Airlines Group. This partnership has enabled Delta and LATAM to vigorously compete with American Airlines (AA) and United Airlines (UA) in the North America-South America market.

Featured image: Delta Air Lines and LATAM Airlines Group aircraft parked next to each other at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport. Photo: LATAM Airlines Group

https://airwaysmag.com/delta-latam-joint-venture/