ATLANTA — Citing an “increase in jet fuel prices” and “fluctuating seasonal demand, a trio of airlines, including Delta, are planning to cut trans-Atlantic capacity by 7 to 9 percent.
The three airlines — Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM and Alitalia — operate more than 260 trans-Atlantic flights every day. The airlines did not say on which routes they will reduce frequency on select.
“Our alliance allows us to make strategic decisions about our network and operate as a single airline on trans-Atlantic flights,” Bruno Matheu, executive vice president – Marketing, Revenue Management and Network for Air France KLM, said in a news release. “Combining our efforts, we are able to leverage the benefits of the joint venture to respond to economic and external cost pressures.”
The airlines operate under a government exemption from anti-trust laws.
“With the most established joint venture across the Atlantic, we are in a unique position to collaborate with our JV partners to make full use of our combined fleet and networks to generate healthy returns and consistently serve our customers,” Perry Cantarutti, Delta’s senior vice president – Europe, Middle East and Africa, said in a news release.