Delta Air Lines Thanks U.S. Department of Transportation for Right to Connect Detroit, Los Angeles to Tokyo-Haneda

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Jul 06, 2010, 06:41 ET

ATLANTA, July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today received final approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to operate daily, year-round nonstop service between Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport, and Detroit and Los Angeles. Schedules for Delta's new daily Haneda flights will be made available for sale in the next few weeks.

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"We applaud DOT Secretary Ray LaHood and his team for a thorough review of our route application to bring new nonstop service to Tokyo's Haneda Airport," said Andrea Fischer Newman, Delta's senior vice president – Government Affairs. "The decision gives our global airline alliance, SkyTeam, its first opportunity to serve Haneda, which increases competition and benefits consumers by adding a third major alliance to the airport."

In Detroit, new service to Haneda will boost Delta's Eastern U.S. gateway to Asia. Delta's hub at Detroit, featuring a state-of-the-art 121-gate terminal designed for international connections, will provide one-stop service to Haneda for 106 U.S. cities.

With its new flights between Haneda and Los Angeles, Delta will serve the largest mainland U.S.-Tokyo market, as well as provide one-stop service for customers in 18 U.S. cities.

Delta's new service at Haneda will complement the airline's existing service at Tokyo's Narita airport. Delta currently offers flights between Narita and 11 U.S. cities.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With its unsurpassed global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 369 destinations in 67 countries on six continents. Delta employs more than 70,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France KLM. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world's largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 45 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.