Originally Posted by
WhiskeyBravo
Why does China need to approve a DL/KE JV?
US and China do not have an Open Skies agreement and the whole point of the JV is to open up access to China using KE routes. Skyteam's Asia strategy is to get around the fact that 1) they have no Japanese airlines in the alliance and 2) China is BOOMING. Delta has been behind the eight ball in Asia compared to Star Alliance, chasing more slots at Haneda while also investing in China Eastern. Now Delta is hedging those bets by refocusing on KE after treating them as a Tier 4 black sheep for years. Meanwhile China Southern is being courted by AA but blocked from OneWorld by Cathay Pacific.
It's all kind of fascinating, like slow motion chess with billions at stake.