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Delta Air Lines reported a slightly higher profit for Q2 and said it would make fewer seats available to the UK and elsewhere than previously planned. Delta said earnings rose 4% to US$1.55b in Q2 from a year earlier. Total revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% at US$10.46b. Passenger load factor was down a fraction at 85.5% Delta also said it would increase capacity by one percentage point less than it had expected for Q3 to match reduced demand. Some of the biggest cuts will involve the UK. Delta said weaker sterling and economic uncertainty surrounding Britain's upcoming exit from the EU caused it to reduce US-UK capacity by 6 percentage points for later this year. The decision comes during heightened competition from transatlantic rivals. <br/>

Air France-KLM Group has signed a new agreement with China Eastern Airlines to include KLM in the existing joint venture between the French and Chinese carriers. "This agreement is another crucial stage in the partnership between China Eastern Airlines and the Air France-KLM Group,” Air France-KLM EVP commercial, sales and alliances Patrick Alexandre said. The three airlines now offers 41 weekly flights to Shanghai Pudong on a joint basis including 28X-weekly from and to Paris Charles de Gaulle by Air France and China Eastern, 13X-weekly from Amsterdam (by KLM), and 4X-weekly to Amsterdam Schiphol by China Eastern. Air France also has a partnership with China Southern. <br/>