BREAKING NEWS is that Delta Air Lines, currently perhaps the most
aggressive US airline across the North Atlantic, has acquired from
United Airlines traffic rights between New York JFK and Gatwick. The
cost for the route rights will bring in up to $21m for United but the
Heathrow slots remain with that airline. Expected to start from the
beginning of the winter season initially the service will be daily
using a Boeing 767 doubled for summer 2007. However in spite of its
much better rail connections Gatwick has never proved to be as
attractive to and from New York as Heathrow, BA and Virgin having
given up their services prior to the current season. In recent times
only Continental has served ”Big Apple”, via Newark. London will now
be connected to Kennedy by American Airlines, BA and Virgin from
Heathrow and Continental (Newark) and Delta from Gatwick plus Eos and
Maxjet, business class airlines from Stansted.
Delta, who are trading in bankruptcy, says it is still the airline”s
intention to fly JFK ” LHR as soon as the bilateral is sorted out.
The new routing is subject to government approval. United Airlines
continues with services from Heathrow to Chicago, Los Angeles, San
Francisco and Washington.
http://www.delta.com
http://www.united.com