Delta Announces First Nonstop Atlanta-Mumbai Flight 

Longest range commercial jetliner will connect Atlanta to the finance
capital of one of world’s fastest-growing economies.  
Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft features lie-flat seats in Delta’s Business Elite class  
  
Photo by Prashant

ATLANTA, Aug. 7, 2008 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced a new daily nonstop flight between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Mumbai, India, starting Nov. 1, 2008*.  The new flight will leave from the world’s largest airport to reach the finance capital of one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

Delta’s recently acquired Boeing 777-200 Long Range (LR) aircraft will make the 17-hour, 55-minute westbound nonstop flight. The world’s longest range commercial jetliner bolsters Delta’s ability to connect nonstop customers and cargo between virtually any two cities around the globe. The airline currently offers one-stop service from Atlanta to the Indian city through New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

To announce this momentous decision, Delta Air Lines Inc. held a press conference when the traditional diya was lit to mark this announcement. This new flight, which is seen as connecting the world’s two great democracies, is expected to provide further thrust to commerce and trade between the two regions and increase tourist inflow from India.

Welcoming this news, Narsi Narasimhan, president of the Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, said “The Indian community in Atlanta showed great growth in the 1990s. This will mean a lot more travel between Atlanta, the Southeast generally, and India, and the direct flight will certainly be a facilitator for business.”  
 

Delta’s first two 777-200LRs joined the fleet earlier this year as the first of 10 such models to be delivered through 2010.  Since April, these aircraft have been serving the New York-JFK-Mumbai route, which will be discontinued with the commencement of nonstop service between Atlanta and Mumbai. 

      “The size and scope of Delta’s operations at our Atlanta hub are best suited for the capacity of the 777-200LR in terms of cargo and passenger lift,” said Glen Hauenstein, executive vice president – Network and Revenue Management. He added  “Serving Mumbai from Atlanta will allow us to optimize the route thanks to the approximately 150 U.S. destinations to which Mumbai customers will be able to connect, as well as the more than 30 easy connections available to and from Latin America and the Caribbean.”

      With the new service, Delta will offer customers nonstop service to 78 international destinations from Atlanta, including service recently announced or inaugurated between Atlanta and Shanghai, China; London-Heathrow, England; Stockholm, Sweden; and Kuwait City, Kuwait (effective Nov. 7).

Delta’s flight schedule between Atlanta and Mumbai:

** arrives the next day

      The 777-200LR - with fully horizontal personal sleeper suites in BusinessElite^®, next-generation, more comfortable seats in coach, and on-demand entertainment system on larger screens at every seat- is the flagship aircraft for Delta’s global operations.

      BusinessElite customers flying on the 777-200LR will enjoy: 

• Reclining seats that adjust to multiple comfortable positions, including a completely flat 6-foot 3-inch bed;
• Privacy screens,pull-out meal table, fold-out 10.6-inch personal video screen, integrated footrest and personal stowage compartment for bags, shoes or blankets;
• Immediate access to the aisle without disturbing other passengers when exiting their seat; and
• USB ports offering charging facility for laptops and MP3 players.

      Customers flying BusinessElite on any Delta international aircraft enjoy Delta on Demand featuring first-run and popular classic movies, music, TV programming and video games. They are served a five-course menu featuring culinary creations by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein. The course consists of an appetizer, soup or salad, and choice of four entrees (including a vegetarian selection); a reinvented wine program launched in February by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson. The wine program features wines from around the world. The other facilities include new full-size pillows, duvets, modern and stylish dinnerware, and in-seat power outlets that allow customers to recharge their laptops.

      Delta’s 777-200LR aircraft offers customers flying in coach comfortable, all leather slim-line seats each with on-demand music, movies, games and television on individual 9-inch video monitors. Delta is the first airline to offer the sleek, leading-edge seats from Weber Aircraft LP, offering up to 1.5 inches of increased personal space, additional under-seat storage, and ergonomically-designed cushions.

      Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than any other airline offering flights to 312 destinations in 61 countries. Delta has added more to their international capacity than any other major U.S. airline during the last two years. Today, Delta is the leader across the Atlantic with flights to 44 trans-Atlantic markets. Delta offers 393 weekly flights to 47 destinations to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Delta's marketing alliances allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 16,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that reaches customers extensively to worldwide destinations. Together with SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 500 worldwide destinations in 105 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and flight status at delta.com.

*Subject to foreign government approval”