Delta Air, Korean Air launch trans-pacific cargo venture

Delta Air Lines Cargo and Korean Air Cargo said today they have launched a joint venture covering air cargo service, an initiative the two airlines said will dramatically expand Delta's presence in the Asia-Pacific and Korean Air's market in the Americas.

The announcement comes five months after the airlines announced a broad joint venture that hinted at the air cargo co-operation disclosed today.

The cargo venture will expand bellyhold capacity on the trans-Pacific, the airlines said. In 2017, Delta and Korean Air carried 268 million tons of belly cargo on the routes that will be covered by the joint venture, they said. The combined network will give cargo customers access to more than 290 destinations in the Americas and more than 80 in Asia, they said.

Delta and Korean Air will co-locate cargo operations under one warehousing roof at Seoul's Incheon International Airport. Incheon is expected to grow in importance as an Asian gateway for both airlines, they said. Delta is the only U.S. carrier to operate nonstop trans-Pacific flights to and from Seattle, Detroit and Atlanta. It will add Minneapolis next year.

The airlines are no strangers to each other. They were founding members of the SkyTeam Alliance, which was launched in 2000 and has 20 airline members.