Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
Delta Air Lines is scaling back services to Los Angeles by discontinuing its codeshare arrangements with SkyWest Airlines. At the same time it is strengthening its Asian presence with the signature of a co-operation deal with China Southern Airlines.
The two companies have announced that SkyWest will cease acting as a Delta Connection carrier out of Los Angeles from 4 April. The termination will affect 39 daily SkyWest flights to Bakersfield, Fresno, Monterey, Palm Springs, San Diego and Santa Barbara.
"The announcement came as a result of Delta's reassessment of its need for feed traffic out of Los Angeles and SkyWest's re-evaluating using its resources in this way. This will not affect co-operation out of Salt Lake City," says SkyWest vice-president Steven Hart.
The carrier operates 95 daily services to 27 cities from Salt Lake City which, unlike Los Angeles, is a major hub for Delta. The Atlanta-based carrier inherited the Los Angeles operation - along with a 13% stake in SkyWest - from former Western Airlines, which it acquired in 1987. "We continue to have a strong relationship with SkyWest," says Delta.
SkyWest signed an agreement with United Airlines in February to operate United Express services to Portland and Seattle, and from last April, Los Angeles. These, along with a new service to San Francisco, account for 162 daily services, which Skywest says it would be "happy" to increase further should United choose to add more capacity in place of Delta.
Delta, meanwhile ,has concluded a "comprehensive agreement" with China Southern providing codeshare services between the USA and China. The deal follows the signature of a memorandum of understanding between the two carriers in April 1997 and provides for codesharing on China Southern's thrice-weekly services between Guangzhou and Los Angeles and onward Delta connections in the USA.
China Southern is being courted to join an international airline alliance. In November the airline signed an agreement to co-ordinate flights with Star Alliance member United. Delta also plans to further strengthen its partnership with the Guangzhou-based carrier, stating that it is "pursuing new opportunities in China".
Source: Flight International
