Delta Plans New Daily Nonstop Service between New York-JFK and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Route offers Delta passengers direct flights between two of the top global tourism destinations

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Mar 23, 2017, 15:15 ET

ATLANTA, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will offer a new daily nonstop flight between New York-JFK (JFK) and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, beginning Dec. 21, 2017, subject to U.S. Department of Transportation approval. 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.

"We listen to our customers and continuously strive to offer them increasingly convenient ways to travel, both for business and leisure," 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 JFK and GIG 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 767-300 aircraft. The 767-300 has 35 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, get more rest, as well as experience the on-demand in-flight entertainment system. Delta customers flying on Delta One will also enjoy industry-leading food with Latin-inspired meal selections by Chef Michelle Bernstein, paired with elegant wines chosen by master sommelier Andrea Robinson.

The 210-passenger aircraft also includes 32 Delta Comfort+ seats and 143 seats in the Main Cabin. Delta's latest improvements include 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 New York-JFK and Rio de Janeiro-GIG will also enjoy 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.

Once approved, these flights will be available for booking through www.delta.com. Customers may also access Delta's Twitter channel in English at @Delta and in Portuguese at @DeltaAjuda, for real-time support before, during and after travel.

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 55 destinations in the region, offering over 1,900 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 57 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.