Delta adds to trans-Pacific network with new Virgin Australia route to Melbourne

News provided by

Sep 20, 2016, 11:20 ET

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta customers will soon gain direct access to Melbourne, Australia, following an announcement by joint venture partner Virgin Australia of plans to launch nonstop service between Melbourne and Los Angeles in 2017.

The new route will strengthen the trans-Pacific network offered by Delta and its partner in the region.

"Delta offers a truly superior network of international partners out of Los Angeles," said Ranjan Goswami, Delta's Vice President - Sales, West Region. "Through our joint venture, Delta and Virgin Australia continue to differentiate ourselves as leading carriers in the U.S.-Australia market, from boosting our service to key destinations to mutually investing in a best-in-class customer experience."

Beginning April 4, 2017, Virgin Australia will fly five times weekly between Melbourne and Los Angeles using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.* The new flight complements existing service offered by Delta and Virgin Australia, who will together offer 25 weekly flights between Australia and the United States and round-trip connectivity from 230 destinations in the Americas to 49 destinations across Australia and New Zealand.

"The United States is a key market for Virgin Australia, and this enables us to offer direct services from Los Angeles to the three largest cities in Australia – Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney," said Virgin Australia Group CEO John Borghetti.

Delta's premium cabin Delta One, alongside Virgin Australia's business-class experience The Business, which launched in June, distinguishes Delta and Virgin Australia as the only trans-Pacific alliance to consistently offer full flat-bed seats with direct aisle access in business class.

Delta has been the fastest-growing carrier at Los Angeles International Airport since 2009 and will embark next year on a relocation to Terminals 2 and 3 at LAX, enabling operation alongside Virgin Australia and many of its other airline partners. The $1.9 billion plan to upgrade and connect the complex at Terminals 2 and 3 will create a premier partner hub that offers best-in-class check-in, faster connection times for seamless connectivity and an industry-leading customer experience.

Delta and Virgin Australia currently fly twice-daily from Los Angeles to Sydney and daily from Los Angeles to Brisbane.

*Subject to regulatory approvals
Melbourne – Los Angeles (beginning April 4, 2017)
VA 23 / DL 6793 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
1130 STD 0900 STA
Los Angeles – Melbourne (beginning April 4, 2017)
VA 24/ DL 6792 Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
2110 STD 0600 +2 STA

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year. In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fifth time in six years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 321 destinations in 56 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and Facebook.com/delta.