Air France-KLM, Delta Tie-up To Reap $12B Annually

GREG KELLER

PARIS (AP) — Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines said Wednesday their trans-Atlantic joint venture will bring estimated annual sales of $12 billion from more than 200 jointly operated flights each day — about a quarter of all capacity on the routes.

"This strategic partnership puts us in a good position compared with other major alliances, which are extremely active on the world's leading long-haul market," Air France-KLM Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon said as the two companies sealed their deal.

The cooperation agreement between Europe's largest airline and the world's largest airline operator will also "help us weather the current economic situation and protect our product offering," Gourgeon said.

In a statement, the companies said that together they will operate more than 200 trans-Atlantic flights and offer about 50,000 seats per day. The joint venture represents about a quarter of all trans-Atlantic capacity, the companies said.

The joint venture covers all the airlines' flights between North America and Europe, between Amsterdam and India, and between North America and Tahiti, the companies said.