Delta Air Lines flew into Gatwick from Kennedy Airport New York for the first time this morning - realising an ambition of the Atlanta-based carrier since its formation 75 years ago. The airline will offer a daily Boeing 767 flight which will be doubled from 1 April 2007. From Gatwick Delta also serves both Atlanta and Cincinnati daily, from Manchester Atlanta and JFK; and from Edinburgh Atlanta, all daily (five times per week in the winter).
The pleasure of the new route was somewhat mollified by an unwelcome takeover bid from rival US Air 24 hours before. First reaction from Delta questioned the timing and US Air's ability to even consider expansion whilst its own amalgamation into Atlantic West was taking place. Speaking in London Lee Macenczak, Delta's executive vice president sales and customer service (pictured), said that the airline wishes to be a stand-alone carrier. "Our plan is working and we are proud of the progress Delta people are making to achieve this objective."
Delta is currently trading under US chapter 11 bankruptcy rules and says it expects to resolve these matters in the first half of next year. Recent figures, which show positive financial returns and a substantial increase in efficiency, indicate that the optimism is justified.
Mr Macenczak confirmed that Delta's ambition was now to operate into Heathrow, but he echoed BA's Willie Walsh”s view that the changes in Washington would slow the process down: "We just do not know the thinking of the new administration in Congress," he said. An anomaly of the new arrangement is that the world's busiest long haul international route is now flown by two British carriers but only one American.
With the addition of flights to London, Delta now serves 21 transatlantic markets non-stop from JFK, including seven destinations not offered by any major US carrier. Additionally, the airline recently announced plans to introduce New York-JFK and Pisa/Florence and Bucharest by next summer. Delta claims to be the North Atlantic's largest carrier.