Delta Unveils Schedule for New Domestic Hub at New York's LaGuardia Airport

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today unveiled its schedule for its new domestic hub at New York's LaGuardia airport, significantly expanding its service to include more than 100 new flights and 29 new destinations. 

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The investment will be the largest single expansion by any carrier at LaGuardia in decades, with total flights increasing by more than 60 percent, and total destinations by more than 75 percent. By summer 2012, Delta will operate 264 daily flights between LaGuardia and more than 60 cities, more than any other airline.

Delta will offer more domestic flights and seats from New York's three major airports than any other carrier, with more than 400 daily domestic departures from LaGuardia, JFK and Newark to destinations nationwide. Delta's new hub will benefit consumers across the state of New York and the Northeast with convenient new nonstop jet service to LaGuardia.

"Delta's new service will offer customers more flights, seats and travel choices than any other carrier in New York, one of the largest and most competitive aviation markets in the world," said Richard Anderson, Delta's chief executive officer. "Our expanded New York schedule is a clear indication that we're making good headway with creative thinking and strategic moves to become the preferred airline for travelers flying to and from New York City."

"This is another example of a global business investing more in New York, benefiting our economy and consumers" said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.  "Delta's expansion will create hundreds of jobs, improve New York's airport infrastructure and give New Yorkers greater travel opportunities.  Delta continues the pattern of businesses partnering with us to make our State a better place."

"Today's announcement is great news for New York City and for the millions who fly here every year," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "In addition to the traveling public, this expansion will benefit the City's economy by creating both construction and permanent jobs."

The additional LaGuardia flights will be available under an agreement between Delta and US Airways to exchange takeoff and landing rights at LaGuardia and Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., which was approved earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Delta closed its agreement with US Airways on Dec. 13.

The transaction generated significant support from elected and community leaders in New York and Washington, D.C. The DOT concluded that the agreement will increase competition and create significant benefits for consumers. The expansion will increase passenger traffic at LaGuardia considerably, adding up to 4 million new seats annually without increasing aircraft congestion.

Flights will be available for sale on Saturday, Dec. 17, at delta.com and other ticketing outlets, for travel beginning March 25, 2012, and July 11, 2012, depending on the market served. Additional details of Delta's expanded LaGuardia schedule are available at http://news.delta.com/index.php?s=18&item=162.

LaGuardia Expansion

Delta's expanded LaGuardia schedule adds nonstop service to top U.S. business markets, including Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Charlotte, Denver, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Cleveland. Delta also will be adding frequency to business markets it currently serves, including Chicago, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham and Portland, Maine.

The new flights will provide Delta's customers with more choice and options when flying to New York's preferred airport for business travelers.

"Our new LaGuardia schedule puts Delta in nearly all of the top 50 markets from LaGuardia," said Gail Grimmett, Delta's senior vice president – New York. "It means we can get our customers to destinations across the U.S. with nonstop service and the convenience of LaGuardia."

The upgraded schedule at LaGuardia is the latest offering for Delta's business customers in New York. Last year the airline added Chicago O'Hare to its popular Delta Shuttle business product, renovated a Delta Sky Club at LaGuardia and has added more than 2,000 premium seats, in-flight WiFi and other amenities to its fleet.

In addition to key business markets, Delta will be adding new all-jet service from LaGuardia to key upstate New York markets, including Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, replacing turboprop aircraft operated by US Airways. Delta also will be adding service to smaller communities including Wilmington, N.C.; Roanoke Va.; and Burlington, Vt.

The larger jet aircraft utilized by Delta means up to 4 million additional seats will be available at LaGuardia without increasing congestion.

As part of the expansion, Delta will invest $100 million to create an expanded main terminal at LaGuardia in Terminals C and D, where it will operate a total of 26 gates. A 600-foot connector bridge will be built to conveniently link the two terminals. Delta also will convert the existing US Airways lounge in Terminal C to a Delta Sky Club, while continuing to operate its current Sky Club in Terminal D.

Delta will continue to operate its popular hourly Delta Shuttle to Boston, Washington, D.C., and Chicago from its six gates at the Marine Air Terminal.

Delta's expanded LaGuardia service will create an estimated 700 jobs in the New York region. In addition, the expansion and related airport construction will directly and indirectly generate an estimated 6,000 new jobs in New York.

Delta has more than 7,000 New York-based employees.

Enhancing JFK

While Delta's expanded LaGuardia schedule is focused on providing industry-leading domestic service, the airline's schedule at JFK is being optimized in 2012 for international and trans-continental flights, as well as improved coordination with Delta's SkyTeam alliance partners. In addition, Delta will now provide customers with a choice of New York airports in many markets.

The JFK enhancements include:

• Increased frequency on several long-haul routes between JFK and western U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
• The addition of new routes to provide more convenient access to international service, including Greensboro, N.C.; New Orleans, La.; and Kansas City, Mo.
• Maintaining JFK service while adding new LaGuardia flights at many airports, such as Buffalo, N.Y.; Cleveland; and Richmond, Va.; which will provide customers in those cities with flights to Delta's domestic and international hubs in New York.
• Expanded service to Caribbean destinations, including new flights to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Delta is currently under way on a $1.2 billion program to enhance and expand Terminal 4 at JFK, adding nine new gates and creating a state-of-the-art gateway for New York's fastest growing global airline. That facility will open in spring 2013.

"Our JFK hub will offer even more customers easy access to flights across the country and overseas, and they can look forward to enjoying service at a world-class airport facility when our terminal expansion is complete," Grimmett said.

Delta has made major investments across the New York region in recent years, boosting its economic impact to more than $13 billion annually. Delta also has achieved a high profile among key New York institutions, as the official airline of the New York Yankees, New York Mets, New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Liberty and Madison Square Garden, and supports vital non-profit community organizations including The Whitney Museum, the New York Wine & Food Festival, the Food Bank for New York City and the James Beard Foundation.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year, and was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 341 destinations in 61 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 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 and Alitalia. 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, a world-class airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.

SOURCE Delta Air Lines

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