Delta Boosts Connectivity between Rio de Janeiro and New York

Airline offers direct flights between two top global tourism destinations

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May 12, 2017, 10:30 ET

ATLANTA, May 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) continues to expand its connections between Brazil and the United States with a new nonstop flight between Rio de Janeiro and New York-JFK, available for booking through www.delta.com on Saturday. Delta will connect the two cities with a daily service, starting southbound Dec. 21, 2017, and northbound the next day.

The airline's strategic alliance with GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes will extend the reach of this service to 23 destinations within Brazil and provides seamless connections at Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG) in Rio de Janeiro. On the other end, Delta will offer 49 U.S. destinations beyond its hub at New York-JFK.

"By boosting our network to and from Rio de Janeiro, we're giving customers more options to suit their travel needs," said Luciano Macagno, Delta's Director — Brazil. "It is exciting to have the opportunity to offer a daily direct flight from Rio de Janeiro to our second-largest international hub at New York-JFK. Delta's continued route expansions demonstrate our commitment to the Brazilian market and the strength of our alliance with our Brazilian partner, GOL."

Delta's proposed schedule between Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and New York-JFK (JFK) is as follows:

Flight Number	Departs	Arrives	Frequency	Effective
DL 479	New York-JFK (JFK) at 9:24 p.m.	Rio de Janeiro (GIG) at 10:30 a.m.	Daily	Dec. 21, 2017
DL 478	Rio de Janeiro (GIG) at 10:15 p.m.	New York-JFK (JFK) at 5:36 a.m.	Daily	Dec. 22, 2017

The GIG-JFK route will be operated using a Boeing 767-400 aircraft with 40 Delta One full flat-bed seats with direct aisle access for every passenger. The aircraft also has oversized personal entertainment screens, allowing travelers to increase productivity or better rest, as well as experience the on-demand audio/video in-flight entertainment system. Delta customers flying on Delta One will enjoy industry-leading food with Latin-inspired meal selections by Chef Michelle Bernstein, paired with elegant wines chosen by master sommelier Andrea Robinson.

The 246-passenger aircraft also includes 28 Delta Comfort+ seats and 178 seats in the Main Cabin. Delta's latest improvements included the introduction of new sleep kits and several other upgraded amenities for passengers seated in the Main Cabin on flights to and from Brazil. Customers flying in Delta Comfort+, Delta's premium economy service, benefit from up to four additional inches of legroom and 50 percent more recline than Delta's standard international Main Cabin seats; free beer, wine, snacks; and priority boarding. Other product initiatives being rolled out across Delta's international fleet include the expansion of its Wi-Fi service.

Elite customers and passengers flying in Delta One through Rio de Janeiro-GIG and New York-JFK will also benefits with a premium airport experience at the 24,000 square-foot flagship Delta Sky Club in JFK's Terminal 4, the biggest club in Delta's system, and a recently opened GOL VIP lounge located in GIG's Terminal 2.

About Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines is working to be the best U.S. airline in Latin America and the Caribbean. It has been honored with five World Travel Awards in 2016 in the categories of North America's Leading Airline and Leading U.S. Airline to Central America, to South America, to Caribbean and to Mexico for the second year in a row. Delta has been also recognized with LADEVI's 2016 Insignia Latam Excellence award for its service to the region. Delta continues to grow in Latin America through its long-term exclusive alliances with GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, Aeroméxico and Aerolíneas Argentinas, and is committed to building a solid regional footprint to enhance its global network and offer its customers the best overall experience. Delta provides service to 33 countries and 54 destinations in the region, offering over 1,600 weekly flights between the U.S. and Latin America/the Caribbean. Delta customers can also receive real-time, on-the-go travel assistance in Spanish and Portuguese through Twitter channels @DeltaAssist_ES and @DeltaAjuda from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST. Brazilian customers can also access Delta's dedicated Brazilian Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/DeltaAirLinesBrasil.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 180 million customers each year. In 2017, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the sixth time in seven years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented six consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 323 destinations in 59 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.