Air France-KLM and its stakeholder and business partner China Eastern announced plans Thursday to broaden their joint venture to take in new routes. The companies said they would add the Paris-Wuhan and Paris-Kunming routes to their network, on a code-sharing basis. “By strengthening the joint venture, our group pursues its partnership-driven Asia strategy.” said Air France KLM executive Patrick Alexandre. China Eastern and Delta each hold 8.8% of Air France-KLM’s share capital. The French government holds 14%, while AccorHotels has expressed interest in taking a minority stake in Air France-KLM. Air France-KLM has been looking for a new CE following the abrupt departure of CE Jean-Marc Janaillac in May, after staff rejected a pay proposal aimed at ending strikes that have resulted in heavy losses.<br/>
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Delta and WestJet have finalised a joint venture agreement, as they move towards closer cooperation between Canada and the USA. The agreement will expand on the carriers' codeshare agreement and allow them to jointly coordinate schedules and plan growth, co-locate at key airports, provide reciprocal frequent flier benefits, and cooperate on cargo operations, Delta and WestJet said Thursday. "Delta's future is global and together with WestJet, we can augment the two airlines' capabilities and bring together our strengths in this important trans-border market," said Ed Bastian, CE of Delta. The immunised partnership will be the Atlanta-based carrier's sixth joint venture with a foreign carrier, the latest being a tie up with Korean Air that began in May. "WestJet continues its drive toward becoming a global airline, and the signing of this agreement marks a major milestone in that journey," says Ed Sims, CE of WestJet. "The joint venture will allow us to maximise our existing partnership with Delta to benefit customers by bringing greater competition to the trans-border market." Delta and WestJet plan to file for antitrust approval in both Canada and the USA within the next month, and hope for a decision within a year, says WestJet.<br/>
Delta has been accused of firing four employees for speaking Korean in the workplace. A group of former Delta employees Ji-Won Kim, Lilian Park, Jean Yi and Jongjin An, all of whom are of Korean descent, claim they were fired for speaking Korean by Delta in May 2017, KIRO 7, a local channel in Seattle, Washington, reported Tuesday. An was told by her manager that there had been complaints from non-Korean agents that “they feel uncomfortable” and was told to “limit speaking Korean.” Yi told the outlet that Korean-speaking passengers were so glad to see her and her speaking Korean made them feel comfortable as they did not speak English. The four women, who have filed a lawsuit against the US airline, believe their fluency in Korean was one of the key reasons why they were hired by Delta as the company has flights between Sea-Tac Airport in Seattle and South Korea. The lawsuit also shows the women, three of whom are US citizens, “were suspended and ultimately terminated for allegedly offering unauthorized upgrades.”<br/>
A former baggage handler at Atlanta's airport who helped smuggle guns onto passenger planes bound for New York City was sentenced Thursday to 2 ½ years in prison. Eugene Harvey, 34, had pleaded guilty in December to conspiring to carry a weapon on an aircraft after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors. Harvey worked as a baggage handler and ramp agent for Delta at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and was fired in December 2014 as a result of the investigation. Prosecutors said he abused his position with the airline to get 135 guns into the airport and then passed them off to be taken to New York to be sold on the black market. "I made some bad decisions, but I've had the time to reflect on that and I am truly sorry," Harvey told the judge before he was sentenced, adding that he's learned his lesson and won't end up back in court. The charge he pleaded guilty to carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, but prosecutors asked the judge to impose a 2 ½-year sentence. They cited his cooperation with state prosecutors in New York, which helped convict his co-defendants, among other factors.<br/>