Delta Airlines remains dismissive of Gulf carriers’ importance as its protectionist stance deepens

Delta Air Lines continues to beat the protectionist drum against the emerging Gulf carriers even as Etihad is reportedly examining a stake in Delta's fellow SkyTeam member Alitalia.

Beleaguered Alitalia in some ways is at the centre of Delta's latest in a series of strenuous efforts to stymie expansion by Gulf carriers as it challenges Emirates' new Milan-New York service in the Italian courts. The stakes for Delta are much higher than a single flight. The carrier appears willing to use litigation to stop Emirates from further expanding on fifth freedom rights to serve points in North America from Western Europe as the region represents roughly one quarter of Delta's international seat deployment.

Delta is reverting to tactics from a bygone era as the global aviation business continues to change rapidly. The Gulf carriers are a major component of the changes under way and as much as Delta aims to thwart their expansion, the reality is Delta will continue to face new competition from those carriers at every turn. Like some of its long established partners, such as Air France, which went from arch-enemy to ally with Etihad, Delta may just have to coordinate more closely with those airlines if Etihad succeeds in becoming a major stakeholder in Alitalia.