delta expands jfk trans-Atlantic routes

Delta airlines introducing a redesigned schedule to europe that accommodates growing customer demand at JFK while taking steps to reduce airport congestion and delays.

Delta plans to offer increased choice on 14 new international routes* – including nine destinations not served by any other U.S. major airline from JFK – and will offer customers improved on-time reliability by reducing the number of Delta flights operating during peak hours.

The efficiencies of the new schedule will allow Delta to offer customers a total of 204 daily departures to 93 destinations from New York-JFK by June 2008, including:

Nine new trans-Atlantic routes with nonstop service between JFK and: Tel Aviv, Israel (effective March 10)*; Edinburgh, Scotland (effective May 1); Dakar, Senegal (effective June 2)*; Nairobi, Kenya (via Dakar) (effective June 2)*; Cairo, Egypt (effective June 4)*; Malaga, Spain (effective June 4)*; Amman, Jordan (effective June 5)*; and Lagos, Nigeria (effective June 9)*; and, subject to DOT approval, Cape Town, South Africa (via Dakar) (effective June 3)*. In conjunction with today’s announcement, Delta is applying to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for authority to add the only direct service operated by a U.S. carrier to Cape Town.

we will further demonstrate our commitment to diversifying the choices we offer our customers by redeploying domestic assets to international markets where demand is outpacing growth,” said Delta CEO Richard Anderson. “Our expansion in New York will build on the value Delta customers already enjoy with daily nonstop service to five continents from JFK, but will also meet this growing demand with a strategic plan to help alleviate chronic delays and congestion before another peak-summer travel season.

“As New York City’s most international carrier, we are proud to take a leadership position in redesigning our JFK schedule to allow for significant growth of international routes while helping to reduce congestion at peak times by more evenly scheduling Delta flights throughout the day,” Anderson continued.

Reducing congestion and delays
As part of its plan to address congestion and delays at JFK, Delta will make the following changes before summer 2008:

Metering its use of airport resources by reducing average hourly departures by 6 percent during the most congested hours;
Decreasing departures during JFK’s afternoon ‘rush hour’ by shifting short-haul trans-Atlantic flights to a third bank of international departures after 7 p.m.;
Optimizing connecting times to increase transit time for JFK customers to enhance overall baggage performance and schedule reliability;
Increasing the number of Delta flights operated with larger two-class jets. Of the 204 daily departures at JFK planned for 2008, 65 percent will be operated with larger two-class aircraft seating between 70 and 270 passengers – up from 43 percent in summer 2007; and
Eliminating all Delta flights at JFK operated with turboprop aircraft.