Delta expands network between North America, Europe and India through codeshare with Jet Airways and KLM

- Strategic codeshare partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Jet Airways will offer one stop codeshare access between North America and India

- Customers travelling from North America and Europe via Amsterdam can connect onto Jet Airways' network across India

News provided by

Delta Air Lines

Mar 14, 2016, 12:20 ET

AMSTERDAM, March 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines has entered into a codeshare partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Jet Airways to provide convenient connections for passengers to and from key destinations across North America to the Indian Subcontinent via Amsterdam.

Delta expands network between North America, Europe and India through codeshare with Jet Airways and KLM

Effective March 27, 2016, Jet Airways, India's premier international airline, will launch daily non-stop flights from Amsterdam to each to its hubs in Mumbai and New Delhi. These will complement KLM's daily flight between Amsterdam and New Delhi. Furthermore, Jet Airways will also operate a daily flight to Toronto from Amsterdam.

The three-way partnership will enable customers to enjoy enhanced connectivity and seamless travel throughout the combined networks of Jet Airways, KLM and Delta. Schedules of all three flights have been planned to allow quick and convenient connections between India and Toronto via Amsterdam.

Nat Pieper, Senior Vice President Europe, Middle East and Africa, Delta Air Lines said: "With more than 11,000 customers flying between the U.S. and India each day, our partnership with Jet Airways will enable us to meet the high demand for flights between the United States and the Indian sub-continent. Plus, our customers will benefit from reciprocal loyalty offerings and lounge access, meaning they can enjoy the same benefits as they would when flying on Delta."

Naresh Goyal, Chairman, Jet Airways, said: "We are delighted to announce the launch of our new services to Amsterdam. India's trade relations with the Netherlands go back over 400 years and have continued to prosper in the modern age. The recent meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and the Netherlands has given a new impetus to this relationship. The new direct services by Jet Airways will facilitate greater engagement and co-operation between India and the Netherlands. As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India has emerged as a key destination. Initiatives such as 'Make in India' and 'Startup India' launched by the Government of India have given a boost for foreign investment and trade."

He continued: "Our daily flights between Amsterdam and India will have a significant positive impact on our network and connectivity by opening up multiple destinations in Europe and North America. The codeshare partnerships with KLM and Delta will offer customers wider access, unmatched connectivity and seamless travel from key destinations in Europe and North America to India."

Pieter Elbers, President & CEO KLM said: "With this new partnership with Jet Airways we are happy to join hands in order to extend our services to more customers all over the world. Together with our Joint Venture partner Delta we will transfer passengers smoothly and swiftly between three continents and via KLM's home base Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, thus expanding choice and connectivity for our customers. The economic value of the partnership for the integral Dutch economy is estimated €100 million annually."

Highlights of the agreement include:

An extensive European network
Under the codeshare arrangement, Jet Airways will place its marketing code on KLM's flights from Amsterdam to 30 cities across Europe including key destinations such as: Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Edinburgh, Geneva, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Helsinki, Madrid, Manchester, Oslo, Prague, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Vienna, and Zurich.

Greater connectivity to North America
Jet Airways will also place its marketing code on KLM and Delta flights to 11 points across USA and Canada, namely: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York-JFK, Newark, Washington, San Francisco, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Vancouver.*

Increased travel options to India and beyond
For customers flying on KLM and Delta flights from North America and Europe, both airlines will place their marketing codes on Jet Airways' flights between Amsterdam and Mumbai and Delhi. The airlines will also place their codes on flights beyond these gateways to key destinations including: Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Goa, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Kolkata, and Amritsar. Subject to government approvals, KLM and Delta will also codeshare on flights to Kathmandu, Nepal and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Customers flying via Mumbai and Delhi will also be able to access Jet Airways' network of 48 destinations within India as well as destinations in the Indian subcontinent and Asia.

Benefits for Cargo customers
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol's position as one of the largest gateways in Europe provides greater options for Jet Airways' freight customers, thanks to seamless links with sea, rail and road transportation. Jet Airways' direct daily flights from Amsterdam will benefit exports from the Netherlands including pharmaceuticals, specialized medical equipment, food and horticultural products, by facilitating access to Jet Airways' network across the vast Indian market.

* Certain codeshare routes are pending Government approvals

About Jet Airways
Jet Airways is India's premier international airline operating flights to 73 destinations, including India and across the world. Jet Airways' robust domestic network in India spans the length and breadth of the country covering metro cities, state capitals and emerging destinations. Beyond India, Jet Airways operates flights to key international destinations in South East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Europe and North America.

The Jet Airways Group currently operates a fleet of 116 aircraft, comprising Boeing 777-300 ERs, Airbus A330-200/300, Next Generation Boeing 737s and ATR 72-500/600s. With an average age of 6.63 years, this is one of the youngest fleets in the region.

JetPrivilege, the award winning loyalty and rewards programme offers exclusive privileges to members when they travel Jet Airways and any of its partner airlines and on transacting with any of the 150+ programme partners.

Jet Airways together with airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, Etihad Airways, Etihad Regional operated by Darwin Airline, and NIKI, participates in Etihad Airways Partners, which brings together like-minded airlines to offer customers more choice through improved networks and schedules and enhanced frequent flyer benefits.

About KLM
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was founded in 1919, making it the world's oldest airline operating under its original name. In 2004, Air France and KLM merged to form AIR FRANCE KLM. The merger produced the strongest European airline group based on two powerful brands and hubs – Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle. Retaining its own identity, the group focuses on three core businesses: passenger transport, cargo and aircraft maintenance.

In the Netherlands, KLM comprises the core of the KLM Group, which further includes KLM Cityhopper, transavia.com and Martinair. KLM serves all its destinations using a modern fleet and employs over 32,000 people around the world. KLM is a leader in the airline industry, offering reliable operations and customer-oriented products resulting from its policy of enthusiasm and sustainable innovation. KLM is a member of the global SkyTeam airline alliance, offering customers an extensive worldwide network. The KLM network connects the Netherlands to every important economic region in the world and, as such, serves as a powerful driver for the economy.

About Delta
Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year. In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fifth time in six years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 327 destinations in 57 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.