ATLANTA, Oct. 27, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Delta Air Lines, working with local Mexican officials in Cancun, is assisting with the evacuation effort for tourists by operating daily relief flights into and out of Cancun through Saturday. The aircraft, Boeing 767-300 and Boeing 737-800, are arriving in Cancun carrying relief supplies including water, food and generators, and departing with evacuees. Mexican officials are selecting some passengers based on need, and Delta is assisting its customers further by reaccommodating them to their final destination once they arrive in Atlanta.
Today, Delta will operate three relief flights to Cancun, and is scheduled to operate two relief flights a day on both Friday and Saturday. Delta is prepared to increase the amount of flying based on requests from Mexican officials.
On Wednesday, the first day of the relief flights, Delta flew more than 400 evacuees from Cancun and was planning to fly more than 650 evacuees today.
Delta is hopeful it will be able to resume a normal operating schedule on Sunday, October 30, once the Cancun airport's basic operating needs are restored, like water and electricity. A normal operation for Delta includes four daily flights from Atlanta, one from Cincinnati and one from Salt Lake City. Delta is hoping to resume its weekend service to Cozumel, Mexico, as soon as conditions will allow.
Delta is proud to serve customers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean with flights to 29 destinations across the region, including six destinations in Mexico, 10 in the Caribbean and 13 throughout Central and South America. Delta is the fastest-growing airline in the region and will serve a total of 40 destinations by spring 2006.
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