List of airline mergers and acquisitions

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

1. Air Berlin
   • 2006 - Acquired dba
   • 2007 - Acquired HLX
   • 2007 - Acquired LTU
   • 2009 - Acquired LGW
   • 2009 - Acquired Belair
   • 2011 - Acquired flyNiki
2. Air New Zealand
   • 2000 - Acquired Ansett Australia, Ansett collapsed, proving to be more of a drain than asset.
3. Air Canada
   • 2000 - Acquired Canadian Airlines.
4. Air France
   • 2004 - Merged with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, changing the company name to Air France KLM, although the two airlines still operate as separate airlines.
5. Air Jamaica
   • 2010 - Acquired by Caribbean Airlines
6. Air West
   • 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
7. AirTran Airways
   • 1997 - Bought by ValuJet Airlines, kept the AirTran name
   • 2010 - Bought by Southwest Airlines, kept the Southwest name.
8. Alaska Airlines
   • 1986 - Acquired Jet America Airlines.
   • 1986 - Acquired Horizon Air, which continues to operate as a separate airline.
   • 2016 - Files paperwork with the FTC to merge with Virgin America
9. America West Airlines
   • 2005 - Merged with bankrupt US Airways, retaining the US Airways name.
10. American Airlines
    • 1971 - Acquired Trans Caribbean Airways
    • 1987 - Acquired Air California
    • 1991 - Acquired many of Eastern Airlines routes from Miami to Latin America and the Caribbean
    • 1997 - Acquired Reno Air
    • 2001 - Acquired TWA
    • 2013-2015 - Merged with US Airways. Currently the world's largest carrier. Kept American Airlines name
11. Avianca
    • 1919 - Begins as SCADTA
    • 1940 - Merged with SACO, retains Avianca name
    • 1994 - Merged with SAM
    • 2003 - Acquired ACES Colombia
    • 2008 - Acquired Tampa Cargo
    • 2008 - Acquired Aerogal
    • 2009 - Merged with TACA
    • 2014 - Acquired AeroUnion
12. Braniff International Airways
    • 1982 - Eastern purchased Braniff's South American routes
13. Canadian Airlines
    • 1987 - Formed by merger of Canadian Pacific Airlines, Eastern Provincial Airways, Nordair, and Pacific Western Airlines.
    • 2000 - Acquired by Air Canada.
14. Caribbean Airlines
    • 2010 - Acquired Air Jamaica.
15. Cathay Pacific
    • 2006 - Acquired full ownership over Dragonair, which continues to operate as a separate airline.
16. Cimber Air
    • 2008 - Acquired bankrupt Sterling to form Cimber Sterling.
17. Continental Airlines
    • 1934 - Begins as Varney Speed Lines
    • 1982 - Acquired by Texas International / Merges, retains Continental name
    • 1987 - merges with People Express, Frontier, and New York Air
    • 1987 - Acquires PBA and Britt Airways from People Express merger / creates Continental Express
    • 2010-2012 - Merged with United Airlines, kept United name.
18. 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
    • 1972 - Purchased Northeast Airlines
    • 1984 - Established the Delta Connection (ASA, Comair, Skywest, ...)
    • 1987 - Merged with Western Airlines
    • 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
    • 2008-2010 - Merged with Northwest Airlines, was world's largest carrier at time of merger, kept Delta name
19. Eastern Airlines
    • 1986 - Purchased by Texas International, but continues to operate separately as Eastern Airlines
    • 1991 - American Airlines purchased Eastern's routes from Miami to Latin America and the Caribbean
20. Hughes Airwest
    • 1970 - Howard Hughes purchased Air West and renamed it Hughes Airwest
    • 1980 - Republic Airlines bought out Hughes Airwest
21. 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.
22. LOT Polish Airlines
    • 1929 - Aero and Aerolot merged to form LOT Polish Airlines
23. LAN
    • 2012 - LAN and TAM merged to form LATAM
24. National Airlines
    • 1979 - Merged with Pan Am
25. Northeast Airlines
    • 1972 - Delta purchased Northeast Airlines
26. 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
    • 2008-2010 - Merged with Delta. Became world's largest airline by passenger traffic in 2008 under the Delta name.
27. Ozark Airlines
    • 1943 - Ozark Air Lines is founded, then ceases operations in late 1940's
    • 1944 - Parks Air Transport (Parks Air Lines) is founded
    • 1950 - Ozark Air Lines resumes operations
    • 1950 - Purchased Parks Air Transport (Parks Air Lines)
    • 1986 - Purchased by Trans World Airlines, TWA
28. 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
    • 1950 - Merged with American Overseas Airlines
    • 1979 - Merged with National Airlines
    • 1985 - United Airlines Purchased Pan Am's entire Pacific Division
    • 1990 - United Airlines Purchased Pan Am routes to London Heathrow Airport
    • 1991 - Delta Air Lines purchased Pan Am's European routes, and acquired Pan Am's Shuttle
29. 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
    • 1968 - Air West is founded and formed by the merger of Pacific Air Lines, Bonanza Air Lines and West Coast Airlines
    • 1970 - Air West changes name to Hughes Airwest
    • 1980 - Purchases Hughes Airwest
    • 1986 - Purchased by Northwest Orient
30. Republic Airways Holdings
    • 2005 - Acquired Shuttle America.
    • 2009 - Acquired Midwest Airlines.
    • 2009 - Acquired Frontier Airlines.
31. SkyWest Airlines
    • 2005 - Acquired Atlantic Southeast Airlines
32. Southwest Airlines
    • 1985 - Acquired Muse Air
    • 1993 - Acquired Morris Air
    • 2008 - Acquired certain assets of bankrupt ATA Airlines
    • 2010 - Acquired AirTran
33. 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 - Purchased by American Airlines, retains name American Airlines
34. United Airlines
    • 1931 - Purchased National Air Transport
    • 1931 - Purchased Pacific Air Transport
    • 1931 - Purchased Varney Air Lines
    • 1961 - Merged with Capital Airlines
    • 1985 - Purchased Pan Am's entire Pacific Division
    • 1991 - Purchased Pan Am routes to London Heathrow Airport
    • 2012 - Merged with Continental Airlines. Was the world's largest carrier at the time of merger. Kept United name
35. 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 - Merged with America West, keeping the US Airways brand
    • 2013-2015 - Merged with American Airlines, kept American Airlines name
36. 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 - Delta merged with Western Airlines (kept Delta name)
37. 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
38. Loftleidir-Icelandic
    • 1979 - Flugfélag Íslands and Loftleiðir merged, and the airline became known as Icelandair.
39. British Airways and Iberia
    • 2010 - International Airlines Group was formed by the merger of two airlines. Both carriers continued to operate under separate brand.

See also

• List of airline holding companies - the actual enterprises and business entities which do the acquisitions and mergers.