ATLANTA, July 27, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Miss China Universe 2006 Ying Hui Gao included Delta Air Lines' Worldwide Headquarters in Atlanta on her promotional tour to drum up support for nonstop service between the Southeast United States and China. Creating a new connection for this route, which is currently underserved, would bridge a gap between two of the largest commercial, manufacturing, and transportation centers in the world.
"It's vitally important that more American companies in more regions of this country invest in and connect with China, especially from the U.S. Southeast," said Miss Gao, who recently participated in the 2006 Miss Universe Pageant in Los Angeles. "While business traffic between our two countries continues to grow, the United States is still very mystical to many Chinese citizens. The time is right to provide more connections to China so leisure travelers can experience all that both of our countries have to offer."
Delta said it will file an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin nonstop service between Atlanta and China when the Department issues a request for such applications next year. The next new entrant designation becomes available in March 2008.
"Serving China direct from our Atlanta hub is Delta's primary focus for growth to Asia and part of our continued international expansion plans," said Pam Elledge, Delta's vice president of Global Sales & Distribution. "We are in the best position of any other airline to offer the region's first nonstop service, which we anticipate will bring more than $400 million in economic benefits to the U.S. Southeast."
In November 2005, Delta opened its first sales office in China to create a presence in the marketplace and to sell Delta tickets to Chinese business and leisure travelers for travel in the United States and beyond. The airline also opened an office in Guangzhou, the gateway city for its codeshare with partner China Southern Airlines, in February this year and plans to open its third office in Shanghai next month.
Delta Air Lines (Other OTC:DALRQ) offers customers service to more destinations than any other global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to more than 290 destinations in 47 countries. With more than 50 new international routes added in the last year, Delta is America's fastest growing international airline and is the world's leading carrier between the United States and Europe with flights to 29 trans-Atlantic destinations. To Latin America, Delta offers nearly 500 weekly flights to 47 destinations and is quickly becoming the second-largest carrier in the region. Delta's marketing alliances also allow 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 partners, Delta offers flights to 460 worldwide destinations in 97 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
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