Delta Air Lines has modified its request for US government approval to begin service on the Portland-Beijing-Shanghai route and says it now wants to operate services three days a week from Cincinnati to Beijing with continuing service to Shanghai instead.
In an application to the US Department of Transportation (DoT), Delta wants all 10 new frequencies the agency recently made available for additional service to China under the terms of the bilateral agreement.
The application is part of a broader proposal by Delta, which is looking to operate daily non-stop flights connecting New York's Kennedy International Airport and Beijing, also with continuing service to Shanghai. Cincinnati passengers travelling to Shanghai would connect with Delta's New York-Beijing-Shanghai service, which itself would originate and terminate at the carrier's main Atlanta hub.
Response
Delta explains that its application change from the Portland, Oregon gateway to Cincinnati is in response to "the better traffic flows available to more customers destined for China" through its hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
It insists that its decision "...does not diminish the importance" of its Pacific gateway at Portland.
Source: Flight Daily News
