by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:45 AM ET, Fri May 9, 2025
Delta Air Lines and Korean Air are acquiring independent equity stakes in Canadian airline WestJet, amounting to a combined 25 percent ownership for $550 million.
Delta will invest $330 million into its 15 percent stake in WestJet, while Korean Air is investing $220 million into its 10 percent stake. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval.
Once the deal is complete, Delta has plans to sell and transfer a 2.3 percent stake in WestJet to Air France-KLM, its Joint Venture partner, in exchange for $50 million.
WestJet is owned by Onex Group, a Canadian investor and alternative asset manager. It will continue to control the airline, which has its headquarters in Calgary.
Delta has been a codeshare partner with WestJet since 2011, offering easy connections between the United States and Canada. Korean Air has been a codeshare partner since 2012, offering greater transpacific connectivity between Eastern Asia and Canada.
“Investing in a world-class partner like WestJet aligns our interests and ensures that we remain focused on providing a world-class global network and customer experience for travelers in the United States and Canada,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “Together, Delta and our airline partners are connecting the world and transforming the future of travel.”
Delta has made several investments into Air France-KM, LATAM, Virgin Atlantic and even Korean Air’s parent company, Hanjin KAL, among other airlines, in recent years.
"These investments, and the enhanced partnerships they bring, are an endorsement of our people and WestJet’s differentiated performance through an extraordinary period for aviation in recent years," said WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech.
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