Despite an overall trend toward trimming Europe capacity, Delta Air Lines Inc. is ramping up its flights from U.S. hubs to Paris with the help of its joint-venture partner, Air France-KLM.
Delta will launch seasonal or year-round flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport from 11 American cities, including a new nonstop from Atlanta, bringing the total number of daily Atlanta-Paris flights operated by the partner airlines to four.
The new flight from Atlanta begins March 30, Delta announced Oct. 5.
At an Oct. 2 air-cargo forum in Atlanta, Delta CEO Richard Anderson said the airline has already reduced its trans-Atlantic capacity by 3 percent over last year as the Europe remains bogged down in negotiations over resolving its sovereign-debt crisis.
“Europe is obviously in a very difficult situation but ultimately the euro has got to be a common currency with a single bank, and everybody’s got to get on board to print more euros and stand behind the euro,” Mr. Anderson said during a panel discussion.
However, during the Atlanta World Showcase on Oct. 4, the chief executive was effusive about the convenience to Paris that Delta offers through its joint venture.
The fact that the airline and its partners can offer 1,000 seats per day out of Atlanta when only about 85 of them are filled by Atlanta residents shows the power of Delta’s hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Mr. Anderson said.
To view Delta’s route additions to France and other European destinations, click here.
