OREANDA-NEWS. Delta Air Lines has entered into a codeshare partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Jet Airways to provide convenient connections for passengers to and from key destinations across North America to the Indian subcontinent via Amsterdam.

Effective March 27, Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will launch daily non-stop flights from Amsterdam to each to its hubs in Mumbai and New Delhi. These will complement KLM’s daily flight between Amsterdam and New Delhi. Furthermore, Jet Airways will also operate a daily flight to Toronto from Amsterdam.

The three-way partnership will enable customers to enjoy enhanced connectivity and seamless travel throughout the combined networks of Jet Airways, KLM and Delta. Schedules of all three flights have been planned to allow quick and convenient connections between India and Toronto via Amsterdam.

Nat Pieper, Delta's Senior Vice President - Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “With more than 11,000 customers flying between the U.S. and India each day, our partnership with Jet Airways will enable us to meet the high demand for flights between the United States and the Indian subcontinent.  Plus, our customers will benefit from reciprocal loyalty offerings and lounge access, meaning they can enjoy the same benefits as they would when flying on Delta.”

Naresh Goyal, Chairman of Jet Airways, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our new services to Amsterdam. India’s trade relations with the Netherlands go back over 400 years and have continued to prosper in the modern age. The recent meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and the Netherlands has given a new impetus to this relationship. The new direct services by Jet Airways will facilitate greater engagement and co-operation between India and the Netherlands. As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India has emerged as a key destination. Initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’ launched by the Government of India have given a boost for foreign investment and trade.”

He continued: “Our daily flights between Amsterdam and India will have a significant positive impact on our network and connectivity by opening up multiple destinations in Europe and North America. The codeshare partnerships with KLM and Delta will offer customers wider access, unmatched connectivity and seamless travel from key destinations in Europe and North America to India.”

Pieter Elbers, President & CEO of KLM, said: “With this new partnership with Jet Airways we are happy to join hands in order to extend our services to more customers all over the world. Together with our Joint Venture partner Delta we will transfer passengers smoothly and swiftly between three continents and via KLM’s home base Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, thus expanding choice and connectivity for our customers. The economic value of the partnership for the integral Dutch economy is estimated €100 million annually.”

Highlights of the agreement

An extensive European network

Under the codeshare arrangement, Jet Airways will place its marketing code on KLM’s flights from Amsterdam to 30 cities across Europe including key destinations such as: Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Edinburgh, Geneva, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Helsinki, Madrid, Manchester, Oslo, Prague, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Vienna, and Zurich.  

Greater connectivity to North America

Jet Airways will also place its marketing code on KLM and Delta flights to 11 points across USA and Canada, namely: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York-JFK, Newark, Washington, San Francisco, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Vancouver.*

Increased travel options to India and beyond

For customers flying on KLM and Delta flights from North America and Europe, both airlines will place their marketing codes on Jet Airways’ flights between Amsterdam and Mumbai and Delhi.  The airlines will also place their codes on flights beyond these gateways to key destinations including: Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Goa, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Kolkata, and Amritsar.  Subject to government approvals, KLM and Delta will also codeshare on flights to Kathmandu, Nepal and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Customers flying via Mumbai and Delhi will also be able to access Jet Airways’ network of 48 destinations within India as well as destinations in the Indian subcontinent and Asia.

Benefits for Cargo customers

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s position as one of the largest gateways in Europe provides greater options for Jet Airways’ freight customers, thanks to seamless links with sea, rail and road transportation. Jet Airways’ direct daily flights from Amsterdam will benefit exports from the Netherlands including pharmaceuticals, specialized medical equipment, food and horticultural products, by facilitating access to Jet Airways’ network across the vast Indian market.

* Certain codeshare routes are pending Government approvals