James May June 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 55
outh America has been
a key focus for Georgia’s
own Delta Air Lines as it
expands its international
network and carries out its mission
of “connecting the world.” Before
2020, the airline had just 122 flights
per week on average between the
U.S. and South America, with other
U.S. carriers— United and American—
offering more service between the
Americas. But a transformative 2019
move saw Delta invest in Latin American airline giant LATAM, and soon
after the airlines filed plans to begin
a joint venture (JV) partnership.
Georgia political leaders including
Gov. Brian Kemp, Atlanta Mayor Andre
Dickens and members of the state’s
congressional delegation were supportive of Delta and LATAM joining
forces to create greater connectivity
between South America and Delta’s
hometown hub, Atlanta.
“This JV will allow both Delta
and LATAM to offer customers more
flights, lower prices, more convenient
travel options, and more competition
for air travelers to South America,”
wrote Kemp in February of 2022. “As
international travel demand returns,
the JV will link customers to over
7,000 North American and South
American city pairs via new and enhanced air service, more convenient
connections, and a more seamless
travel experience.”
Dickens meanwhile called the
joint venture, “an important step in
continuing to grow air service at ATL,”
and pointed to the economic benefits
of the proposed partnership. “The JV
is expected to generate approximately $460 million in annual consumer
benefits through improved networks,
enhanced customer experience, and
frequent flyer program improvements,”
said the mayor. “The JV is also expected to generate fare savings for customers of up to $56 million annually at
pre-pandemic traffic levels.”
Job done. In September of 2022
the U.S. Department of Transportation
granted final approval the joint venture
between Delta and LATAM, setting
the stage for the airlines to get to work
in building out their partnership.
The result— by late 2023, just one
year after the official launch of the JV,
Delta and LATAM were the clear industry leader in flights between North
and South America, with capacity
increased by 75 percent and connecting the more than 200 North American
destinations served by Delta to the
more than 120 South American destinations served by LATAM.
Delta and LATAM passengers
get reciprocal benefits when flying
across the other’s network, and the
airlines now share terminals at hub
airports like New York JFK, São Paulo,
Brazil, and Santiago, Chile. And the
airlines are adding more routes by the
month— whether that’s Orlando to
Bogota, Colombia or even Los Angeles
to São Paulo, the only direct flight to
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