Delta’s Korean Air pact could become joint venture, Bastian says

A flight-sharing partnership between Delta Air Lines and Korean Air Lines could transform into a joint venture, Delta CE Ed Bastian said. The code-share agreement between the two operators “could lead to deeper relationship” with the possibility of becoming a joint venture, Bastian said. A possible investment by Delta may help Korean Air, which is under pressure to inject funds into troubled unit Hanjin Shipping as a court in Seoul decides on a bankruptcy protection filing by South Korea’s biggest container line. As Hanjin’s largest shareholder, Korean Air pledged to provide as much as US$54m as part of the holding group’s efforts to ease a supply-chain disruption, but the airline has so far failed to resolve how the money would be disbursed. <br/>