Speaking at a media briefing to discuss Delta Air Lines emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Delta Air Lines CEO Gerald Grinstein, said that he expected Virgin America to start and was ”relaxed” concerning its aspirations. Asked about Heathrow slots he said that they had not yet been secured but he was very confident that an arrangement would be made with the airline”s Skyteam partners for between three and six outbounds per day.
Whilst JFK and Atlanta were priorities the airline has not ruled out other US gateways. ”We might surprise you,” said chief operating officer Jim Whitehurst, responsible for the basic running of the airline including marketing and strategy, also much credited in putting the carrier back on the road. ”We do have some other interesting possibilities.” Whitehurst said that Delta was very happy with Gatwick and its strong catchment area. ”We expect to continue at that airport whatever happens at Heathrow,” he added.
Grinstein was also asked about the ”WheelTug” powered front bogie innovation, the subject of a recent joint announcement with the British company (click here to read the story). He said that much work was still to be done with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and he felt that it was two years away.
”WheelTug” will allow for the dispensation of the traditional mechanised towing of aircraft around the apron area and reduce the requirement to start the engines until the runway holding point has been reached. It has been likened to the redundancy of tugboats for cruise liners with the introduction of powered pods allowing these big ships to dock under very restricted circumstances.
Unlike the press conference given by Sir Richard Branson last week, the Delta gathering virtually ignored ”green” issues. On the question of new wide-bodied aircraft to replace the existing 767 fleet, both Grinstein and Whitehurst emphasised that no imminent decision was being taken and that a choice might be made by the end of the year or early 2008. ”Airbus is certainly in the running,” said Grinstein.
There was criticism from the floor regarding immigration delays particularly with the further expansion of international services. ”We are talking to Washington,” he said. ”The problem is that it is an election year and this is not a priority for politicians.”