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Delta Air Lines is taking another stab at growing its presence in Asia – including a recent decision to restart Atlanta-Shanghai flights next year – after significant shifts in the industry landscape, reported The Atlanta Journal.
Although Delta launched the Shanghai route nearly three years ago amid much fanfare, only to scuttle it in 2009, the airline says this time will be different.
A global recession led to a steep decline in demand for international travel within months of the spring 2008 launch, prompting Delta to cut back on frequency and then stop flying the route altogether.
Since then, it has completed the integration of flight schedules with merger partner Northwest Airlines, including that carrier's extensive Asia network, and has expanded Chinese airline partnerships through its SkyTeam global alliance.
Now, Delta believes recovering demand for international travel and a broader network in China will make for a successful relaunch of the Atlanta-Shanghai route next June.
The economy "has picked up pretty substantially and our expectation is that it's going to continue into 2011." said Vinay Dube, Delta's senior vice president, Asia Pacific. He said the broader Chinese airline partnerships will "be a game-changer for us."
Still, Delta is not launching the renewed Atlanta-Shanghai route with daily flights, as it did in 2008. When flights resume in June, they will operate two days a week.
Cargonews Asia
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