Italian flag carrier
Alitalia Airlines in the next ten days will announce plans to join the antitrust-immune
joint venture that includes Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM, enabling the carrier
to jointly set fare, plan routes and share revenues on the transatlantic with its
SkyTeam partners.
Though a 2008 Department
of Transportation decision granted Alitalia antitrust immunity with five SkyTeam
airlines, the carrier was not part of the original transatlantic joint venture that
included Delta and Air France-KLM. Those carriers already have been courting corporate customers and transitioning international contracts to the joint venture.
Alitalia vice president
of alliances and business development Giorgio Callegari today told BTN
the carrier has gained all other necessary governmental approvals to move forward
its participation in the joint venture.