Delta to offer new daily Atlanta-Mumbai non-stop service from November

Delta Air Lines has announced a new daily non-stop flight between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Mumbai, India, starting 1 November 2008. Delta intends to deploy its recently acquired Boeing 777-200 Long Range (LR) aircraft on the route.

The aircraft will make the flight in a time of 17-hour, 55-minute flying westbound.

Delta's first two 777-200LRs joined the fleet earlier this year as the first of 10 such models to be delivered through 2010. Since April, these aircraft have been serving the New York-JFK-Mumbai route, which will be discontinued with the start of non-stop service between Atlanta and Mumbai.

Glen Hauenstein, executive vice president – network and revenue management said, ''The size and scope of Delta's operations at our Atlanta hub are best suited for the capacity of the 777-200LR in terms of cargo and passenger lift. Serving Mumbai from Atlanta will allow us to optimize the route thanks to the approximately 150 US destinations to which Mumbai customers will be able to connect, as well as the more than 30 easy connections available to and from Latin America and the Caribbean.''

With the new service, Delta will offer customers non-stop service to 78 international destinations from Atlanta.