Delta Air Lines suspends marketing alliance with Russia’s Aeroflot

Delta Air Lines Inc. suspended a marketing agreement with Aeroflot, Russia’s national airline, after the country invaded Ukraine.

Withdrawal of the code-sharing accord, an industry practice that enables passengers to book a multicarrier trip through one airline, is effective immediately, Delta said in a statement Friday. The Atlanta-based airline declined to comment further. 

The suspension means Delta will no longer book passengers flying through Los Angeles and New York on Aeroflot. Nor will Aeroflot be able to book passengers in Russia on Delta flights. The two carriers are members of the SkyTeam global alliance, which said it’s monitoring events in Ukraine and is in contact with members to assess the situation. 

Delta, American Airlines Group Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc.—the biggest U.S.-based international carriers— don’t themselves fly to Ukraine or Russia.

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The U.S. is the second largest generator of revenue by country for Aeroflot, behind Germany, according to OAG Aviation Worldwide Ltd.

Russia on Friday barred U.K. airlines from its territory to punish London for imposing sanctions on Aeroflot. British Airways canceled its passenger service between London and Moscow, and Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. suspended a cargo route from London to Shanghai.

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—Bloomberg News