Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines have signed a codeshare deal that will bring three of the largest US carriers together. Delta will join an existing codeshare between Continental and Northwest, possibly bringing the other carriers into the Delta and Air France-led SkyTeam alliance. The US codeshare deal will require regulatory approval, which may not be easy as by passenger numbers such an alliance would be larger than the United/US Airways agreement signed last month. KLM, whose Wings alliance includes Continental and Northwest, indicates that the US airline move may force it towards SkyTeam, and says that it is pursuing talks with Air France.
Source: Flight International
