Delta Plans International Expansion

Delta is laying plans to add 15 international routes to Europe, Asia and Africa starting in summer 2009, cashing in on its merger with Northwest and continuing its global expansion.

During this year’s third quarter, international markets accounted for 41 percent of Delta’s capacity, up from 35 percent for the same quarter last year, Delta President Edward Bastian told analysts in October.

He expected consolidated international capacity for Delta and Northwest to be up 13 percent to 15 percent through the rest of the year. Taking advantage of new opportunities created by its buyout of Northwest, Delta’s new route offerings will give the airline even more leverage across the Pacific.

Among the new flights are nonstops to Tokyo Narita from New York and from Salt Lake City, which will be the first transpacific service from the Rocky Mountain region. Earlier this year, Delta started a Paris flight from its Salt Lake City hub, and the airline said there is more than enough traffic through the hub now to generate the traffic for the new transpacific flight.