List of airline mergers and acquisitions explained

This article lists airline mergers and acquisitions, with a brief history of each:

Air India

2007 - Merged with Indian Airlines.^[1] Kept Air India name.

Air Berlin

2006 - Acquired dba
2007 - Acquired LTU International
2009 - Acquired LGW
2009 - Acquired Belair
2011 - Acquired flyNiki
2017 - Filed for insolvency

Air New Zealand

2000 - Acquired Ansett Australia, Ansett collapsed, proving to be more of a drain than asset.

Air Canada

2000 - Acquired Canadian Airlines

Air France

1990 - Acquired Air Inter, fully absorbing it into Air France in April, 1997.
2004 - Merged with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, changing the company name to Air France-KLM, although the two airlines still operate as separate airlines.

Air Jamaica

2010 - Acquired by Caribbean Airlines

Avianca

1919 - Begins as SCADTA
1940 - Merged with SACO, retains Avianca name
1994 - Merged with SAM and Helicol
2003 - Acquired ACES Colombia' routes
2003 - Acquired OceanAir and VIP Ecuador
2008 - Acquired Tampa Cargo
2009 - Merged with TACA Airlines
2009 - Acquired AeroGal
2014 - Acquired AeroUnion, which continues to operate as a separate airline

Aurora

Austrian Airlines

1957 Air Austria and Austrian Airways form Austrian Airlines
2002 Merged Rheintalflug and Tyrolean Airways to Austrian Arrows
2013 Merged with Lauda Air kept name

British Airways and Iberia

2010 - International Airlines Group (IAG) was formed by the merger of two airlines. Both carriers continued to operate under separate brand.
- As IAG
  - 2011 - Acquired British Midland International
  - 2012 - Acquired Vueling
  - 2015 - Acquired Aer Lingus
  - 2022 - Acquired 20% of Air Europa

Bulgaria Air

2010 - Merged with Hemus Air kept the name Bulgaria Air

Canadian Airlines

1987 - Formed by merger of Canadian Pacific Airlines, Eastern Provincial Airways, Nordair, and Pacific Western Airlines
1989 - Acquired Wardair
2001 - Canadian Airlines acquired by Air Canada

Caribbean Airlines

2010 - Acquired Air Jamaica

Cathay Pacific

2006 - Acquired full ownership over Dragonair (rebranded to Cathay Dragon in 2016), which continued to operate as a separate airline until 2020, when it was folded into Cathay Pacific
2020 - Acquired Hong Kong Express

Cimber Air

2008 - Acquired bankrupt Sterling Airlines to form Cimber Sterling.

Etihad Airways

2011 to 2021 - Attempted to create its own airline alliance, Etihad Airways Partners, through acquisition of minority stakes in several airlines: Air Berlin (29.21%, 2011) (filed bankruptcy, 2017), Air Seychelles (40%, 2012) (divested, 2021), Aer Lingus (2.987%, 2012), Virgin Australia (10%, 2012), Jat Airways (rebranded Air Serbia) (49%, 2013) (reduced to 18%, 2020), Jet Airways (24%, 2013) (filed bankruptcy, 2019), Darwin Airline (33.3%, 2013) (divested, 2017), Alitalia (49%, 2014) (filed bankruptcy, 2017), flyNiKi (49%, 2016) (filed bankruptcy, 2017)

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

2004 - Acquired by Air France, which changed its company name to Air France-KLM, although the two airlines still operate as separate airlines

Loftleidir-Icelandic

1979 - Flugfélag Íslands and Loftleiðir merged, and the airline became known as Icelandair.

LOT Polish Airlines

1929 - Aero and Aerolot merged to form LOT Polish Airlines

LAN Airlines

1995 - Purchased Ladeco
2012 - Merged with TAM Linhas Aéreas to form LATAM Airlines Group

Lufthansa

1955 - Created Deutsche Flugdienst GmbH in conjunction with other companies and subsequently owned 25.81% of it
1959 - Increased its shares in Deutsche Flugdienst to 95.5%. In 1961 Deutsche Flugdienst bought "Condor-Luftreederei“ renaming itself then "Condor Flugdienst GmbH"
1989 - Created SunExpress Airlines as a joint venture with Turkish Airlines
1995 - Transferred SunExpress shares over to Condor
1999 - Purchased 26% of Air Dolomiti
2003 - upped its stake to 51.9% (April) and then 100% (November) of Air Dolomiti
2006 - Lufthansa sold its remaining 50% stake in Condor to KarstadtQuelle AG
2007 - In conjunction with the sale of Condor, LH took back its shares of SunExpress
2005-2007 - Purchased Swiss Int'l Airlines
2008 - Purchased Austrian Airlines
2008 - Purchased BMI (Sold in 2011 to IAG (British Airways))
2008 - Acquired 45% of Brussels Airlines
2008 - Purchased 19% of Jetblue
2009 - Acquired 100% of Germanwings
2016 - Acquired remaining 55% of Brussels Airlines
2017 - Acquired Air Berlin
2023 - Agreement to purchase 41% of ITA Airways (successor of Alitalia)^[2]

Rossiya Airlines

- 2006 - Increases by merger with Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise 2016 - Increases by merger with Donavia and Orenair and re-brands

S7 Airlines (Siberia Airlines)

- - 2001 - Acquired Vnukovo Airlines and Baikal Airlines 2004 - Acquired Enkor 2005 - Re-brands from Siberia Airlines to S7 Airlines and makes Moscow-Domodedovo as the main hub
2008 - Acquired Perm Airlines

TAM Linhas Aéreas

1996 - Acquired Helisul Linhas Aéreas
1996 - Acquired LAPSA
1998 - Acquired Itapemirim Transportes Aéreos
2012 - Merged with LAN Airlines to form LATAM Airlines Group
United States
- AirTran Airways
  - 1997 - Bought by the holding company for ValuJet Airlines, the holding company merged their ValuJet airline into AirTran thus keeping the AirTran name.
  - 2010 - Bought by Southwest Airlines, AirTran fleet transferred to Southwest and thereby AirTran becomes an inactive subsidiary.
- Alaska Airlines
  - 1986 - Acquired Jet America Airlines
  - 1986 - Acquired Horizon Air, which continues to operate as a separate airline.
  - 2018 - Acquired Virgin America. The merger made Alaska a dominant U.S. carrier in the West Coast.^[3]
  - 2023 - Agreement to acquire Hawaiian Airlines, which will continue to operate as a separate brand.^[4]
- America West Airlines
  - 2005 - Acquired US Airways
- American Airlines
  - 1971 - Acquired Trans Caribbean Airways
  - 1987 - Acquired Air California
  - 1990 - Acquired the Eastern Air Lines' route network from Miami to Latin America and the Caribbean
  - 1997 - Acquired Reno Air
  - 2001 - Acquires most of Trans World Airlines assets after filing for bankruptcy.^[5]
  - 2013 - Acquired by US Airways, keeping the American Airlines name. Currently the world's largest carrier.
  - 2019 - Purchased a 3% stake in China Southern Airlines.
- Braniff International Airways
  - 1982 - South American routes was purchased by Eastern Air Lines
- Continental Airlines
  - 1934 - Begins as Varney Speed Lines
  - 1982 - Acquired Texas International Airlines
  - 1987 - Acquired People Express, Frontier, and New York Air
  - 1987 - Acquired PBA and Britt Airways from People Express merger / created Continental Express
  - 2010 - Merged into United Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
  - 1924 - Started as Huff Daland Dusters
  - 1928 - Huff Daland Dusters was purchased by C.E. Woolman and renamed Delta Air Service after the Mississippi Delta
  - 1953 - Purchased the Chicago and Southern Air Lines, and flew under the name Delta C&S for the next two years until the summer of 1955.^[6]
  - 1972 - Purchased Northeast Airlines after Northeast was experiencing financial problems.^[7]
  - 1984 - Established the Delta Connection (ASA, Comair, Skywest, ...)
  - 1987 - Merged with Western Airlines, at the time the oldest continuously operating airline in the United States.^[8]
  - 1991 - Purchase of Pan Am's European routes, and acquired Pan Am's shuttle, forming what is today Delta Shuttle
  - 1996 - Delta Express began service, ended November 2003
  - 2003 - Song began service, ended May 2006
  - 2010 - Merged with Northwest Airlines, was world's largest carrier at time of merger, keeping the Delta Air Lines brand.
  - 2017 - Bought 10% of Air France–KLM
  - 2017 - Bought 32% of Aeromexico to total a stake of 49% ownership
  - 2020 - Bought 20% of LATAM Airlines Group
- Eastern Air Lines
  - 1956 - merges with Colonial Airlines
  - 1967 - Mackey Airlines merges with Eastern Airlines.^[9]
  - 1986 - Purchased by Texas International, but continues to operate separately as Eastern Airlines
  - 1990 - American Airlines purchased Eastern's routes from Miami to Latin America and the Caribbean
- Florida Airlines
  - 1975 - Air South and Shawnee Airlines are purchased by Florida Airlines.^[10] ^[11]
- Frontier Airlines
  - 2007 - Entered service agreement with Republic Airways
  - 2008 - Declared bankruptcy, then purchased by Republic
  - 2009 - Still under the Frontier name, Republic mandates a merger between Frontier and Midwest Airlines
  - 2013 - Enter a contract with Indigo, beginning a transition into an ULCC
- Hughes Airwest
  - 1968 - Pacific Air Lines (originally Southwest Airways), Bonanza Air Lines, and West Coast Airlines merged to form Air West
  - 1970 - Howard Hughes purchased Air West and renamed it Hughes Airwest
  - 1980 - Merged into Republic Airlines
- JetBlue and Spirit Airlines
  - 2022 to 2024 - JetBlue's attempted acquisition of Spirit blocked by a federal court.^[12]
- National Airlines
  - 1979 - Merged with Pan Am
- Northeast Airlines
  - 1972 - Merged into Delta Air Lines
- Northwest Airlines
  - 1916 - Founded by Col. Lewis Patenaude, under the name Northwest Airways
  - 1927 - Began flying passengers
  - 1949 - With its new routes to the far east, re-branded itself as Northwest Orient Airlines
  - 1986 - Purchased Republic Airlines, and dropped the word Orient from its brand name
  - 1993 - Began transatlantic partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, dubbed as "Wings Alliance".
  - 2008 - Merged into Delta Air Lines. Became world's largest airline by passenger traffic in 2008 under the Delta name.
- Ozark Airlines
  - 1943 - Ozark Air Lines is founded, then ceases operations in late 1940s
  - 1944 - Parks Air Transport (Parks Air Lines) is founded
  - 1950 - Ozark Air Lines resumes operations
  - 1950 - Purchased Parks Air Transport (Parks Air Lines)
  - 1986 - Merged into Trans World Airlines
- Pan Am
  - 1928 - Merged with Aviation Corporation of the Americas/American International Airways
  - 1928 - Founded and formed by the merger of Atlantic, Gulf, and Caribbean Airways
  - 1929 - Acquired majority of Mexicana de Aviación
  - 1950 - Merged with American Overseas Airlines
  - 1979 - Merged with National Airlines
  - 1985 - United Airlines purchased Pan Am's entire Pacific Division^[13]
  - 1990 - United Airlines purchased Pan Am routes to London Heathrow Airport
  - 1991 - United Airlines purchased Pan Am's entire Latin American Division
  - 1991 - Delta Air Lines purchased Pan Am's European routes, and acquired Pan Am's Shuttle
  - 1991 to present - Following 1991 bankruptcy, trademarks sold to unaffiliated companies; Pan Am Flight Academy acquired by All Nippon Airways in 2014
- Republic Airlines (Republic Airlines 1979-1986)
  - 1979 - Founded and formed by the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways
  - 1944 - Southern Airways is founded
  - 1944 - Wisconsin Central Airlines is founded
  - 1952 - Wisconsin Central Airlines changes name to North Central Airlines
  - 1980 - Acquired Hughes Airwest
  - 1986 - Merged into Northwest Orient to form Northwest Airlines
- Republic Airways Holdings
  - 2005 - Acquired Shuttle America.
  - 2009 - Acquired Midwest Airlines.
  - 2009 - Acquired Frontier Airlines.
- Southwest Airlines
  - 1985 - Acquired Muse Air
  - 1993 - Acquired Morris Air
  - 2008 - Acquired certain assets of bankrupt ATA Airlines
  - 2010 - Acquired AirTran Airways
- Trans World Airlines
  - - - 1925 - First Incorporate as Western Air Express 1927 - Maddux Air Lines is founded
  - 1927 - Standard Air Lines is founded
  - 1928 - Transcontinental Air Transport is founded
    - - 1929 - Maddux Air Lines merges with Transcontinental Air Transport 1930 - Standard Air Lines merges with Western Air Express
        
        1930 - Western Air Express merges with Transcontinental Air Transport, rebranded itself as Transcontinental & Western Air, T&WA, later changed name to Trans World Airlines, TWA 1934 - Western Air Express broke off from Transcontinental & Western Air, T&WA and briefly changed its name to General Air Lines, returning to the name Western Air Express after several months
  - 1986 - Purchased Ozark Air Lines
  - 2001 - Merged into American Airlines
- United Airlines
  - 1926 - Founded as Varney Air Lines
  - 1931 - Purchased National Air Transport and Pacific Air Transport
  - 1961 - Merged with Capital Airlines
  - 1985 - Purchased Pan Am's entire Pacific Division
  - 1990 - Purchased Pan Am routes to London Heathrow Airport
  - 1991 - Purchased Pan Am's entire Latin American Division
  - 2012 - Acquired Continental Airlines. Was the world's largest carrier at the time of merger.
  - 2014 - After taking over Continental, United closed the hub at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport for the second time.
- US Airways
  - 1938 - Started as All American Aviation Company, renamed All American Airlines and then Allegheny Airlines
  - 1957 - Changed name to Allegheny Airlines
    - - 1968 - Purchased Lake Central Airlines 1972 - Purchased Mohawk Airlines
  - 1979 - Changed name to USAir
    - - 1988 - Purchased Pacific Southwest Airlines 1989 - Purchased Piedmont Airlines
  - 1992 - Operates former Trump Shuttle for banks, renamed by banks as Shuttle, Inc, dba USAir Shuttle
  - 1997 - Changed name to US Airways
  - 1997 - Purchased former Trump Shuttle, now Shuttle, Inc from Banks, dba US Airways Shuttle
  - 1998 - Launches low-fare carrier MetroJet
  - 2000 - Merges US Airways Shuttle into US Airways
    - - 2001 - Dissolves low-fare carrier MetroJet 2005 - Acquired by America West Airlines, keeping the US Airways name
  - 2013 - Merged into American Airlines
- Virgin America
  - 2016 - Merged into Alaska Airlines. The merger made Alaska a dominant U.S. carrier in the West Coast.
- Western Airlines
  - 1925 - First incorporated as Western Air Express by Harris Hanshue
  - 1926 - Western's first flight took place
  - 1928 - Reincorporated as Western Air Express Corp.
  - 1930 - Purchased Standard Airlines (subsidiary of Aero Corp. of Ca. founded in 1926). WAE with Fokker aircraft merged with Transcontinental Air Transport T-A-T to form Transcontinental & Western Air T&WA.
  - 1934 - Western Air Express broke off from Transcontinental & Western Air T&WA and briefly changed its name to General Air Lines, returning to the name Western Air Express after several months
  - 1941 - Western Air Express changed its name to Western Air Lines, which was later altered to Western Airlines
  - 1967 - merged with Pacific Northern Airlines
  - 1987 - Merged into Delta Air Lines

Notes and References

News: Choudhury . Gaurav . Saha . Samiran . Air-India, Indian Airlines merger complete . Aug 24, 2007 . Hindustan Times . Hindustan Times . Hindustan Times.
https://www.aerotelegraph.com/lufthansa-steigt-bei-ita-airways-ein-und-macht-rom-zum-drehkreuz Lufthansa steigt bei ITA Airways ein und macht Rom zum Drehkreuz
Web site: Alaska Airlines And Virgin America Begin Process Of Merging. Teri. Schroder. 15 December 2016. thecerbatgem.com.
https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Insights/Alaska-Hawaiian-deal-bittersweet The bittersweet side of the Alaska-Hawaiian deal
Web site: Road . The TWA Museum at 10 Richards . The TWA Museum at 10 Richards Road . 2024-02-25 . The TWA Museum at 10 Richards Road . en-US.
Web site: Chicago and Southern Air Lines (C&S) . February 25, 2024 . Delta Flight Museum.
Web site: Northeast Airlines . February 25, 2024 . Delta Flight Museum.
Web site: Western Airlines . February 25, 2024 . Delta Flight Museum.
Web site: Mackey International Airlines . 2024-02-25 . Sunshine Skies . en.
Web site: Air South (1968-1980) . 2024-02-25 . Sunshine Skies . en.
Web site: Florida Airlines . 2024-02-25 . Sunshine Skies . en.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/us-judge-blocks-jetblue-acquiring-spirit-airlines-2024-01-16/ US judge blocks JetBlue from acquiring Spirit Airlines
Web site: Cross . Lee . 2022-04-22 . 4/22/1985: United Announces Purchase of Pan Am’s Pacific Division . 2024-02-25 . Airways . en-US.

List of airline mergers and acquisitions explained

See also

Notes and References