- Delta Air Lines announced on Friday that it is suspending its codeshare agreement with Russian flag carrier Aeroflot.
- The two airlines are both members of the SkyTeam Alliance, but Delta will no longer codeshare with the Russian carrier.
- The news comes a day after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson banned Aeroflot from operating in the country's airspace.
On Friday, US-based Delta Air Lines announced it is suspending its codeshare agreement with Aeroflot in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, effective immediately.
"We have removed our code from Aeroflot-operated services beyond Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport and removed Aeroflot's code from Delta-operated services from Los Angeles and New York-JFK. Accommodations will be made for customers affected by these changes," Delta said in a press release.
According to Delta, it does not serve any destinations in Russia or Ukraine.
Delta and Aeroflot are both SkyTeam members, an alliance that was formed in 2000 by Delta, Aeromexico, Air France, and Korean Air. Aeroflot joined SkyTeam in May 2006, becoming the world's first Russian carrier to join a global alliance.
The history between the two carriers has been rocky, with Aeroflot considering leaving SkyTeam in 2013 due to a conflict with Delta, according to Reuters. Sources told Reuters that Aeroflot was unhappy with the high fare routes being developed by Delta in the US, and reportedly said: "there is no point in cooperating with them."
However, Aeroflot did not end up leaving the alliance, though the Russian invasion has forced companies and countries to cut ties with the flag carrier.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed the "largest-ever" set of sanctions against Russia on Thursday, including a ban on Aeroflot. According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the airline's foreign carrier permit has been suspended, meaning it cannot fly in UK airspace or over territorial waters "until further notice."
Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport of the UK, said on Twitter that he has restricted all scheduled Russian airlines from operating in the country.
English soccer team Manchester United has also announced it will cut ties with Aeroflot. The team has had a sponsorship deal with the airline since 2013, but, according to Sports Illustrated entity FanNation, the team's CEO, Richard Arnold, said he does not plan to renew the £40 million ($53.5 million) partnership, which was set to expire in 2023.
Delta is the only US carrier to take direct action against Aeroflot. In Thursday's televised address from US President Joe Biden, the country did not impose any sanctions against the airline, which currently flies nonstop to New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.
Ukraine has closed its airspace to all commercial flights since the Russian invasion, and flight trackers on Thursday showed no flights operating over the country.
