Delta Airlines Gets DOT Approval for Seattle – Tokyo Route
Delta Airlines Boeing 747
747 FLIGHT WILL LAUNCH JUNE 1, 2013, AS PART OF DELTA’S GROWING ASIAN GATEWAY IN SEATTLE
Delta Airlines has received final approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation to operate new nonstop service between Seattle and Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport. The new flights will begin on June 1, 2013.
“We would like to thank the DOT, under the capable leadership of Secretary Ray LaHood, for approval of our new service between Seattle and Haneda Airport, which will link the Pacific Northwest with a key airport for business customers traveling to Japan,” said Delta CEO Richard Anderson. “Delta’s new flights will significantly benefit consumers in the region as well as boost the economy and create jobs by opening new doors for commerce with Asia.”
The Haneda flight adds to Delta’s growing Asian gateway in Seattle. In addition to Tokyo-Haneda, Delta will begin new service to Shanghai on June 17, and also operates flights to Beijing, Tokyo-Narita and Osaka, Japan.
Seattle is the largest West Coast city without nonstop service to Haneda, which is the preferred Tokyo airport for many business travelers due to its proximity to the city’s central business district.
The new Haneda flight will complement Delta’s nonstop flight between Seattle and Tokyo-Narita, which will be expanded and upgraded to Boeing 747-400 service on June 1. Delta’s Boeing 747-400 fleet was recently retrofitted with new interiors featuring full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite, Delta’s popular Economy Comfort seating and in-flight entertainment in every seat throughout the aircraft.
Once the Boeing 747-400 is deployed on the Seattle-Narita route, all of Delta’s trans-Pacific flights will feature full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite as well as Economy Comfort and individual in-flight entertainment throughout the aircraft.
“Delta’s new service to Haneda would not have been possible without the overwhelming support we received from numerous business, community and airport leaders throughout the Northwest region, including our partners at the Port of Seattle and Alaska Airlines, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Congressmen Adam Smith and Rick Larsen,” said Andrea Newman, Delta senior vice president – Government Affairs.
In addition to its Asian gateway, Delta operates nonstop service to Paris and Amsterdam from Seattle. By next summer the airline will operate more than 40 daily flights to 15 destinations worldwide from Seattle.
Delta’s international growth in Seattle is possible because of its partnership with Alaska Airlines, which operates a domestic hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Customers of both carriers enjoy access to an expanded network under a major codesharing agreement, as well as reciprocal frequent flier benefits and airport lounge access. The new Tokyo-Haneda flight will benefit from easy connections to 55 U.S. cities on Delta and Alaska’s domestic networks.
Delta Airlines
Category: Airnation
Comments (7)
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My hat is off to Delta for introducing long distance over water flights with four engine equipment.
I suppose most passengers do not even notice how many engines their flight has as they depart on these 12-16 hour flights…..
I for one find it dangerous and a risk to fly aircraft hours from land. Lose an engine and your life and everything else will depend on that one engine to bring you safely home.
As the airline ramp up and start flying thousands and thousands of flight using twin-engine jets, I expect to see the emergency return to increase.
Read more:
http://airnation.net/hangar/threads/why-four-engines-are-better-than-two.1343/
I completely agree Richard. I can’t say a bad thing about the 777/330 though, I’ve been flying on them before, but I rather stay on safe side. I stopped flying AFR on BOS-CDG route when they switched to 777 and fly on DLH through FRA, as they do 747/340 on that route.
I do not want to alarm anyone. However an informed air traveler could dictate to the airlines that four engine equipment is safer.
The airlines stand to save money by using less fuel and flying less expensive aircraft.
I believe it is not worth risking lives to save money!
Critics will say that twin-engine aircraft are safe. However four or five hours over water to fly one one engine is looking for trouble
Thanks
Oh, for the love of God! “Dangerous” and a “risk”??? Each year millions of flights worldwide reach their destination without incident, and you don’t have enough zeroes on your calculator to determine the odds of losing your life on one of them! You really should be more concerned about losing your life WHILE DRIVING TO AND FROM THE AIRPORT, where the odds of dying in a motor vehicle incident are exponentially greater. Come on….educate yourselves!! Or better yet, maybe we should all just stay home and run for our lives!!! Good Lord….
Seriously? “Dangerous” and a “risk”??? Each year millions of flights worldwide reach their destination without incident, and you don’t have enough zeroes on your calculator to determine the odds of losing your life on one of them! You really should be more concerned about losing your life WHILE DRIVING TO AND FROM THE AIRPORT, where the odds of dying in a motor vehicle incident are exponentially greater. Come on….educate yourselves!! Or better yet, maybe we should all just stay home and run for our lives!!! Good Lord….
You missed the point. Recently the FAA and EASA, the safety agencies for the US and Europe have approved for the first time ever an increase in ETOPS times.
What this simply means is twin-jet aircraft can be as much as five hours and thirty minutes from a suitable landing airport. The original rules were three hours from a suitable landing airport.
An example would be a twin jet at mid-pacific on a 12 hour flight, let’s say Tokyo to Los Angles, loses an engine. The aircraft would have to descend to half it’s original altitude, lose a 130 kts in airspeed and fly for five hours one one engine.
The airlines are about to increase twin-jet service 10 fold because of the new rules that do not require four engine jet equipment for safety.
The rules were changed to save money and allow airlines to use smaller cheaper twin-jet equipment….to save fuel and make more money.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY……!
I believe this is to dangerous. (my opinion)