ATLANTA, July 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air
Lines (NYSE: DAL) is expanding in Asia with new service between
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Shanghai
Pudong International Airport starting in July 2018.
The new Atlanta flight will be
Delta's fourth U.S. gateway to Shanghai, complementing existing service from
Detroit, Seattle and Los
Angeles. The flight will provide convenient one-stop access
to more than 150 destinations in the U.S. and Latin America from Shanghai. In addition, the flight will also
provide access to more than 50 destinations in China with codeshare partner China Eastern.
"Strong demand for Delta service across the Pacific and to China
nonstop from the U.S. as well as our China
Eastern partnership make this route compelling for both
business and leisure travelers," said Ed
Bastian, Delta's Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward
to connecting Delta's hometown and China
Eastern's home with this route, while offering our customers
innovative products, thoughtful in-flight service and leading
operational reliability."
The flight creates a direct link between one of China's major
commercial and industrial centers and Atlanta. The new flight adds to Delta's
existing service to Seoul and
Tokyo, providing Atlanta with non-stop service to the three
largest markets in Asia and
convenient one-stop access to more than 75 destinations in
Asia with partners China Eastern and Korean Air.
"Both global connectivity and maintaining a strong relationship
with China are extremely vital to Georgia's economic landscape," said
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. "This nonstop flight will not only
serve our tourism industry by shortening the international travel
time, but will bolster our business community as well. The flight
will help shorten supply chains for our companies and give them a
daily link to China for time-sensitive distribution. I appreciate
Delta Air Lines for all of its hard work in making sure that
Georgia remains a leader in the
global marketplace."
"Delta is a leading worldwide airline, and connecting
Atlanta and Shanghai with direct service is a tremendous
step for global commerce and for Georgia," said U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.).
"This is a huge win for Georgia
jobs and businesses. I'm glad to see Delta leading the charge to
connect the U.S. business sector to one of the world's largest
financial hubs in Shanghai," said
U.S. Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.).
"We are pleased that Delta is now offering non-stop service to
Shanghai Pudong International Airport, strengthening
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's standing as the
world's busiest and most-efficient passenger airport and a gateway
to the world," said Atlanta Mayor
Kasim Reed. "This new direct route
will open new business and cultural opportunities between
Shanghai and Atlanta, and will support our thriving tourism
industry. Currently, China ranks second for visitor volume to
Atlanta, and we welcome the new
travelers who will be able to come to our city or through our
airport with this new direct route."
"Reinstating this vital intercontinental route further attests
to metro Atlanta's standing as a
logistics powerhouse and gateway to the world," said Hala Moddelmog, President and CEO of the Metro
Atlanta Chamber. "The team at Delta Air Lines continues to bring
forward innovation and smart business ideas that inspire the
airline industry and solidify our region's position as a top-tier
global competitor."
Delta's proposed service will operate on the following schedule
(subject to government approval):
Flight
|
Departs
|
Arrives
|
DL 185
|
Atlanta at 3
p.m.
|
Shanghai at 6:50 p.m.
(next day)
|
DL 186
|
Shanghai at 11:40
a.m.
|
Atlanta at 2:55
p.m.
|
Delta's onboard experience to and from Shanghai will be on the 291-seat Boeing
777-200LR aircraft featuring 37 lie-flat seats with direct aisle
access in Delta One, 36 seats in Delta Comfort+ and 218 seats in
the Main Cabin, which features an industry-leading nine-abreast
seating layout, among the widest in international economy seating.
Every seat has Wi-Fi, a personal, in-flight seatback entertainment
screen as well as power ports. Complimentary meals, including
locally sourced Chinese meals, and beverages will also be provided
in all cabins. Additionally, in the Delta One cabin, customers will
enjoy Westin Heavenly In-Flight Bedding, noise-canceling LSTN
headphones, TUMI amenity kits featuring Kiehl's Since 1851 premium
skincare and in-flight loungewear.
The Delta One suite and Delta Premium Select will progressively
roll out on Delta's Boeing 777 fleet beginning in late 2018.
Delta Air Lines serves more than 180 million customers each
year. In 2017, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired
Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for
the sixth time in seven years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1
in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an
unprecedented six consecutive years. With an industry-leading
global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer
service to 334 destinations in 62 countries on six continents.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta
employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a
mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding
member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the
industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air
France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin
Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers
customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets
including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow,
Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita.
Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities,
global products and services, and technology to enhance the
customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional
information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as
delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and
Facebook.com/delta.
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SOURCE Delta Air Lines