OREANDA-NEWS. March 15, 2016. The faces gracing the cover of this month’s Sky magazine represent the expanding global reach of Delta’s network, thanks to the airline’s groundbreaking partnerships with other carriers around the world.

The CEOs from Delta’s partner airlines of Aeromexico, Air France-KLM, Korean Air, GOL, China Southern, China Eastern, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia spoke with Sky about the opportunities and challenges facing their airlines.

Delta’s alliances range from basic codesharing pacts – in which the airlines list each other’s flights on their reservation systems – to full-scale joint ventures that allow partners to jointly set prices and schedules and share revenue. 

Over the past few years, Delta has dramatically reshaped the nature of its airline partnerships with more than \\$1 billion in direct equity investments. As a result, Delta is now the 49 percent owner of Richard Branson’s iconic U.K. carrier Virgin Atlantic and the 10 percent owner of GOL, Brazil’s largest domestic carrier.

Last year, Delta announced an equity investment of \\$500 million in China Eastern, which has a hub in Shanghai and serves the most destinations in the domestic China market. Delta also announced plans to acquire up to an additional 32 percent of Aeromexico’s outstanding capital stock, bringing the total investment to 49 percent.

As these airlines thrive and expand, so does Delta, and the commitment to provide the industry’s best, most reliable service to important destinations around the world remains a top priority.

5 other things to know about Delta this month, from Sky:

  • Customers traveling from New York-JFK to select markets in Europe can enjoy a new menu from NYC’s beloved Union Square Caf?, with a menu that pays homage to Southern Italy and California with fresh, seasonal ingredients and bold flavors.
  • This month, 48 Delta Chairman’s Club honorees will join the 12th annual Delta Global Build in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International in Merida, Mexico. The team will help build six homes for families in need.
  • This month’s featured inflight beverage was created by an Atlanta-based flight attendant: The Jack and Joe (available for \\$10) is a smooth blend of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey whiskey, Baileys Irish Cream and coffee.
  • The Delta Flight Museum opens an exhibition this month about the 25th anniversary of the Persian Gulf War, with objects and stories from soldiers who served in that conflict. It runs from March 20 – August 2016.
  • Starting March 27, Delta will launch a codeshare agreement with India’s Jet Airways, bringing convenient new travel options for customers flying from the United States, via Amsterdam, to India and beyond.