Delta Air Lines said Friday it is suspending its marketing partnership with Russian national airline Aeroflot effective immediately, as countries around the world move to punish Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine.
Atlanta-based Delta said it withdrew from its “code-sharing” agreement by removing its code from Aeroflot flights from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. It also removed Aeroflot’s code from Delta flights from Los Angeles and New York.
Code-sharing allows one airline to market flights operated by another airline. It also can be used to book connecting flights between two partner carriers.
Delta has been a partner of Aeroflot through its SkyTeam global alliance. Aeroflot is still listed as a SkyTeam member on the alliance’s website.
Delta added that it does not operate flights to Russia or Ukraine.
After the launch of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday expanded a no-fly zone for U.S. airlines and U.S. pilots over Russia and Eastern Europe. The FAA designated all of Ukraine and Belarus and a western portion of Russia as off limits, a broader area than the previous no-fly zone over an eastern region of Ukraine. The restrictions do not apply to military flights.
The United Kingdom on Thursday banned Aeroflot flights, and Russia on Friday banned British carriers, according to air travel intelligence company OAG.
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