Delta Realizes Decade-Long Dream of Nonstop Service between New York City, London with Inauguration of Delta Flight No. 1

NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2006 – Delta Air Lines tonight will realize a decade-long dream when it inaugurates its first flights on the world’s most traveled international route with nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and London’s Gatwick Airport. Delta Flight No.1 will depart New York-JFK at 7:05 p.m. and arrive in London at 7:25 a.m. Thursday, making Delta the first major U.S. airline to enter the New York-London market since 1991.

“Our customers have long awaite¬d the addition of daily nonstop Delta flights on the world’s most popular international route,” said Jim Whitehurst, Delta’s chief operating officer. “Delta already has the most expansive U.S.-to-Europe network and it is only fitting that America’s leading trans-Atlantic airline should offer service on a route this it so important to our customers.”

With the addition of service to London, Delta now serves 21 trans-Atlantic markets nonstop from JFK, including seven destinations not served by any major U.S. carrier. Additionally, Delta recently announced plans to add nonstop flights between New York-JFK and Pisa/Florence, Italy* and Bucharest, Romania*, by next summer, bringing to 24 the number of nonstop trans-Atlantic destinations from the Big Apple.

Delta received the necessary approvals to serve London from New York earlier this year after acquiring the route authority from United Airlines. In addition to this new service to London-Gatwick, Delta continues to favor an Open Skies agreement between the United States and Europe that would allow Delta and other U.S. carriers to also serve London’s Heathrow Airport.

Delta also plans to add a second daily round-trip flight between New York-JFK and London-Gatwick beginning April 1. With this flight, Delta’s service between New York and London will operate as follows:

Flight | Departs | Arrives | Effective
3 | New York-JFK at 6 p.m. | London-Gatwick at 6:20 a.m. | April 1, 2007
1 | New York-JFK at 7:05 p.m. | London-Gatwick at 7:25 a.m. | Nov. 15, 2006
4 | London-Gatwick at 9:15 a.m. | New York-JFK at 12:10 p.m. | April 2, 2007
2 | London-Gatwick at 11 a.m. | New York-JFK at 2: 10 p.m. | Nov. 16, 2006

All of Delta’s new service between New York and London will be operated with the 214-passenger Boeing 767-300ER aircraft featuring Delta’s award-winning BusinessElite service.

Customers flying BusinessElite to and from London will enjoy Delta’s recently upgraded business class cabins and service, including all-leather sleeper seats with 60 inches of legroom; innovative food offerings designed by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein; award-winning, original wine selections; and on select aircraft, on-demand personal in-seat entertainment boasting more than 20 first-run and popular classic movies, a variety of TV programs, a broad range of music, and a suite of 12 video games. Economy class customers also will enjoy recent improvements on Delta, including new all-leather economy seats, enhanced food offerings, personal amenity kits and a complimentary cocktail with each meal.

As JFK’s leading airline, Delta operates nonstop service to more U.S. and international destinations than any other carrier. In total, Delta offer customers 167 peak day flights to 70 worldwide destinations, including nonstop service to 31 international destinations. Additionally, on Dec. 11, Delta will begin the first nonstop service offered by any major U.S. carrier between New York and Africa with four-times weekly service to Accra, Ghana.

To support the continued growth of the JFK hub, Delta is investing more than $20 million in renovations to its Terminal 2 and 3 facilities at JFK. Refurbishments under way include the addition of a new, dedicated BusinessElite check-in area in Terminal 2, refurbishing the customs and immigrations entrance, refreshing facilities in Delta’s BusinessElite lounge and Crown Room Clubs, and adding new international check-in kiosks throughout the facility.

Delta’s new nonstop service between JFK and London complements an extensive schedule of flights between its three international gateways and the United Kingdom. With the winter schedule, Delta operates seven peak-day flights between the U.S. and the U.K. with two flights between Atlanta and London, one flight between Atlanta and Edinburgh, one flight between Atlanta and Manchester, one flight between New York-JFK and Manchester, one flight between Cincinnati and London, and the new daily flight between New York-JFK and London.

Delta Air Lines (Other OTC: DALRQ) offers customers service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 290 destinations in 46 countries. With more than 50 new international routes added in the last year, Delta is America’s fastest growing international airline and is a leader across the Atlantic with flights to 28 trans-Atlantic destinations. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers more than 400 weekly flights to 49 destinations. 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 and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 445 worldwide destinations in 92 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.

*Service subject to foreign government approval.

Contact Information

Katie Connell

Senior Manager - Media Relations

Delta Air Lines

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