Delta spreads wings with hands-on approach

Dallas

BY TYPICAL industry measures, Delta is the world's third-largest airline. Yet, as an airline heavily invested in other airlines, Delta is arguably the world's biggest player by a large margin. No other single airline has such power to shape the industry and spur further consolidation across the globe.

In perhaps the best-known example of how this works, Delta owns 49 per cent of Virgin Atlantic Airways. Next year the carrier will assume the same share of Grupo Aeromexico; Delta anticipates greater air access to the Mexican market and a joint venture with the Mexican flag carrier, modelled after those it already operates across the Atlantic with Air-France-KLM and Virgin.