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 LTU.
   • 2009 - Acquired LGW.
   • 20xx - Acquired flyNiki.
   • 20xx - Acquired HLX.
   • 20xx - Acquired Belair.
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, will retain the Southwest name.
8. Alaska Airlines
   • 1986 - Acquired Jet America Airlines.
   • 1986 - Acquired Horizon Air, which continues to operate as a separate airline.
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
    • 1997 - Acquired Reno Air
    • 2001 - Acquired TWA
    • 2013 - US Airways and American announced a merger plan
11. Canadian Airlines
    • 1987 - Formed by merger of Canadian Pacific Airlines, Eastern Provincial Airways, Nordair, and Pacific Western Airlines.
    • 2000 - Acquired by Air Canada.
12. Caribbean Airlines
    • 2010 - Acquired Air Jamaica.
13. Cathay Pacific
    • 2006 - Acquired full ownership over Dragonair, which continues to operate as a separate airline.
14. Cimber Air
    • 2008 - Acquired bankrupt Sterling to form Cimber Sterling.
15. 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. Overtook Delta as the world's largest airline by passenger traffic in 2011, kept United name.
16. 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. Became the world's largest carrier by passenger traffic in 2008, kept Delta name
17. Eastern Airlines
    • 1986 - Purchased by Texas International, but continues to operate separately as Eastern Airlines
    • 1991 -ceased operation while in bankruptcy
18. Hughes Airwest
    • 1970 - Howard Hughes purchased Air West and renamed it Hughes Airwest
    • 1980 - Republic Airlines bought out Hughes Airwest
19. 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.
20. LOT Polish Airlines
    • 1929 - Aero and Aerolot merged to form LOT Polish Airlines
21. LAN
    • 2012 - LAN and TAM merged to form LATAM
22. National Airlines
    • 1979 - Merged with Pan Am
23. Northeast Airlines
    • 1972 - Delta purchased Northeast Airlines
24. 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.
25. Ozark Airlines
    • 1986 - Purchased by TWA
26. Pan Am
    • 1979 - Merged with National Airlines
    • 1991 - Delta Air Lines purchased Pan Am's European routes, and acquired Pan Am's Shuttle
27. Republic Airlines
    • 1979 - Formed by the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways
    • 1980 - Bought out Hughes Airwest
    • 1986 - Northwest purchased Republic Airlines
28. Republic Airways Holdings
    • 2005 - Acquired Shuttle America.
    • 2009 - Acquired Midwest Airlines.
    • 2009 - Acquired Frontier Airlines.
29. SkyWest Airlines
    • - Acquired Atlantic Southeast Airlines
30. Southwest Airlines
    • 1985 - Acquired Muse Air
    • 1993 - Acquired Morris Air
    • 2008 - Acquired certain assets of bankrupt ATA Airlines
    • 2010 - Acquired AirTran and will retain name Southwest Airlines
31. Trans World Airlines
    • 1986 - Purchased Ozark Airlines
    • 2001 - American Airlines purchased TWA, retained name American Airlines
32. United Airlines
    • - Merged with Capital
    • 2010-2012 - Merged with Continental Airlines. Surpassed Delta as the world's largest carrier. Kept United name
33. US Airways
    • - Started as All American Aviation Company, renamed All American Airlines and then Allegheny Airlines
    • - Purchased Lake Central Airlines and Mohawk Airlines
    • - Changed name to USAir
    • - Purchased Pacific Southwest Airlines and Piedmont Airlines
    • - Changed name to US Airways
    • 2005 - Merged with America West, keeping the US Airways brand
34. 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 to form TWA.
    • 1934 - Western Air Express broke off from TWA 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)
35. 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