Delta Air Lines – the world’s fastest growing international airline – is set to become the only US carrier to operate nonstop flights between the UAE and the US with new service between Dubai and the world’s largest hub in Atlanta commencing 31 May 2007. The new flight builds upon the success of Delta’s international expansion in 2006 and supports the carrier’s continued growth to some of the world’s fastest growing economies in the Middle East and Asia.
“Delta customers have responded overwhelmingly to the more than 50 new international routes added in the last year and have made the largest international expansion in our history an extraordinary success,” said Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein. “We are pleased to continue to respond to our customers’ growing demand for international travel with new Delta destinations that will connect continents and cultures more quickly than ever before thanks to the convenience of our strategically positioned hub in Atlanta. The new service will offer many important new travel options for business and leisure customers between Dubai and the United States, along with multiple opportunities for freight forwarders and cargo shippers. From Atlanta, customers will benefit from convenient onward connections to more than 150 business and leisure destinations throughout the US.”
Each day, Delta offers customers more than 1,000 flights from Hartsfield-Jackson to more than 230 worldwide destinations, including connections to Dubai customers’ top destinations across the Americas such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Orlando, Mexico City and points throughout the Caribbean and Central America.
Between Dubai and Atlanta, Delta will operate service using Boeing 777-200ER aircraft seating up to 268 passengers with 50 seats in BusinessElite, Delta’s award-winning business class. Customers choosing to fly BusinessElite between Dubai and Atlanta will enjoy Delta’s enhanced service introduced this summer, including more comfortable seats with all-leather coverings, improved leg rests, more durable and comfortable cushioning throughout the seat, and the same 60 inches of legroom that has made BusinessElite a customer favorite. Additionally, BusinessElite customers will enjoy new innovative food offerings designed by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein, award-winning, original wine selections, and industry-leading, on-demand personal in-seat entertainment boasting more than 20 first-run and popular class movies, a variety of TV programs, a broad range of music, and a suite of 12 video games.
Earlier this week, Delta also announced that it will be the first US airline to introduce fully horizontal flat seats on its Boeing 777 fleet in 2008 to improve comfort for customers flying in the airline’s award-winning BusinessEite cabin on ultra long-haul routes between the US and destinations such as Dubai, Tokyo, Seoul, Mumbai.
“We believe that our customers’ most valuable commodity is their time,” Grinstein said. “By adding nonstop Delta flights to Dubai we give back to our customers thousands of hours each year that they can spend with their families or advancing their business that otherwise would have been spent making international flight connections.”
Delta’s new nonstop service between Dubai and Atlanta is scheduled as follows:
Flight Departs Arrives Effective Frequency
DL008 Atlanta at 22:40 Dubai at 20:35 (next day) May 31, 2007 Five times weekly
DL007 Dubai at 22:45 Atlanta at 05:40 (next day) June 1, 2007 Five times weekly
Other new routes announced today include Atlanta to Prague, Czech Republic (effective May 2)*; Atlanta to Vienna, Austria (effective May 21, 2007)*; Atlanta to Seoul, South Korea (effective June 4)*; New York-JFK to Pisa/Florence, Italy (effective May 31, 2007)* and New York-JFK to Bucharest, Romania (effective June 5, 2007)*.
Delta Air Lines (Other OTC: DALRQ) offers customers service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 291 destinations in 46 countries. Delta offers nearly 400 weekly flights to 48 destinations with marketing alliances allowing customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 450 worldwide destinations in 92 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
*Subject to foreign government approval
A portion of travel for some itineraries may be operated by the Delta Connection carriers: Atlantic
Southeast Airlines, Chautauqua, Comair, Freedom Airlines, Shuttle America, and SkyWest.
