Newstrack

Delta to inaugurate 777-200LR on Mumbai-JFK non-stop flight in April 2008

Chetan Kapoor - Mumbai

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines will induct one of its two Boeing 777-200LR on the Mumbai-JFK non-stop route, come April 2008. The aircraft will also feature a BusinessElite cabin, and the flyers on this route will be the first to experience the same.

Speaking at a media briefing, Jason Philip, commercial director - India, Delta Air Lines said, "The newly inducted B777-200LR will feature a two-class cabin configuration, with 233 seats in a 3x3x3 economy configuration, and 43 BusinessElite suites in a 1x2x1 configuration. The latter will provide fully-horizontal flat beds, making the Indian flyers on this aircraft the first to experience this facility on the Mumbai-JFK non-stop route."

Greg Kennedy, Vice President ( Airport Customer Service- Atlanta Worldport)

The carrier was the first to start non-stop operations between Mumbai and the United States including the first daily non-stop between Mumbai and New York JFK. With the introduction of this service from April, Philips added, "Our load factor exceeds 80 per cent and come 2008, it will be a 1,00,000 market in Mumbai, which is expected to grow."

Also, Delta recently entered into a joint venture agreement with Air France, a co-member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. As per the JV, both airlines will share revenue and costs on Trans-Atlantic routes. In the first phase of the agreement, the carriers will earn US$ 1.5 billion from April 2008, which will gradually increase to US$ 8 billion by 2010.

On the international front, it all seems bright for Delta. "Forty per cent of our operations will come from the international market starting this summer," stated Greg Kennedy, vice president (Airport Customer Service - Atlanta Worldport) for Delta. He further stated, "We are looking at new routes such as New York to Amman,Cairo,Cape Town, Dakar, Lagos, Lyon, Malaga, Nairobi, Paris, Orly and Tel Aviv and Atlanta to Stockholm."

The Mumbai- JFK flight is conveniently timed for passengers, as they can depart from Mumbai at 1:05 hours (Mumbai time) and arrive at JFK at 7:05 hours (New York time) and depart again from JFK at 21:20 hours (New York time) to arrive in Mumbai at 22:25 hours (Mumbai time).