Alaska Airlines is considering a joint venture as it looks for the next step in its international expansion. The Seattle carrier also wants a new partner in Latin America after ending a long-standing tie-up with LATAM Airlines.
Why a joint venture matters now
Alex Judson, managing director of partnerships and international at Alaska, said at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro on 7 June that a joint venture would be a logical next stage for the airline. “Now that we are a global carrier, it’s kind of the next stage of partnerships,” he said.
Alaska is already a member of the Oneworld alliance and has a close codeshare and loyalty relationship with American Airlines. In May, chief executive Ben Minicucci said the airline wants to deepen that relationship as it launches global flights.
American could be especially important because it already participates in three joint businesses that may be relevant to Alaska. Those include a Europe-US business with British Airways, Finnair and Iberia; an Australia-US concern with Qantas Airways; and a Japan-US operation with Japan Airlines.
Where Alaska is already flying
The carrier now serves London and Rome in Europe, Sydney in Australia, and Osaka and Tokyo in Japan, according to schedule data from aviation analytics provider Cirium Diio. Honolulu and Seattle remain its main intercontinental gateways.
The Latin America gap
At the same time, Alaska is looking for a new Latin American partner. The airline ended its partnership with LATAM Airlines in October 2025, and Judson said the region has been a gap since that relationship ended.
“Stay tuned,” he said when asked about Alaska’s Latin America plans. “We’ve known it’s been a gap since we ended [the LATAM] relationship”.
That search matters because Oneworld does not have a member in Latin America. American is the largest US airline to the region and has equity partnerships with JetSmart in Chile and Gol in Brazil, adding another layer of possible relevance for Alaska as it rethinks its network strategy.