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Delta expands globally with 5 routes

Delta Air Lines is building on the success of the largest international expansion in its history with new nonstop service to some of the fastest growing economies in the world. During 2007, Delta will continue to diversify its global network with added service to high-demand destinations across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.

Delta’s new and expanded nonstop routes from the world’s largest hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will begin as follows:

* Atlanta-Prague, Czech Republic (effective May 2, 2007)*;

* Atlanta-Vienna, Austria (effective May 21, 2007)*;

* Atlanta-Dubai, United Arab Emirates (effective May 31, 2007)*;

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* Atlanta-Seoul-Incheon, South Korea (effective June 4, 2007)*; and

* Atlanta-Sao Paulo, Brazil (expanded to twice daily, effective June 15-Aug. 15, 2007)*;

Additionally, Delta will build on its leadership position at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport with expanded service to four global cities:

* New York-JFK-London-Gatwick, England (expanded to twice daily, effective April 1, 2007);

* New York-JFK-Pisa/Florence, Italy (effective May 31, 2007)*;

* New York-JFK-Shannon, Ireland (nonstop service replacing existing one-stop flights via Dublin, effective June 2, 2007)*; and

* New York-JFK-Bucharest, Romania (effective June 5, 2007)*.

“Delta customers have responded overwhelmingly to the more than 50 new international routes added in the last year and have made the largest international expansion in our history an extraordinary success,” said Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein.

“We are pleased to continue to respond to our customers’ growing demand for international travel with another wave of new Delta destinations that will connect continents and cultures more quickly than ever before.”

Meeting customer demand Even with a more than 20 percent increase in international capacity, Delta was successful in increasing trans-Atlantic and Latin America passenger unit revenues during the June quarter compared to the prior year and filled 83 percent of its international seats in June, July and August combined.

“In total more than 3 million customers chose to fly Delta this summer on international routes, representing a nearly 30 percent increase over 2005,” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s executive vice president - Network and Revenue Management.

“The continued support of our customers enables us to confidently continue our international expansion in 2007.”

With its 2007 expansion, Delta will operate service to more trans-Atlantic destinations than any other U.S. carrier and will strengthen its position as the airline serving the most worldwide destinations. In total, Delta will serve 36 trans-Atlantic destinations by summer 2007 and will offer worldwide service to more than 300 cities.

Delta’s upcoming expansion also increases to 16 the number of trans-Atlantic routes where Delta is the only major U.S. carrier to operate nonstop service, resulting in more direct routings to offer time savings to customers.

“We believe that our customers’ most valuable commodity is their time,” Grinstein said. “By serving destinations like Bucharest and Pisa/Florence nonstop, we return to our customers millions of hours each year that they can spend with their families or advancing their business that otherwise would have been spent making international flight connections.”

Delta’s new flights between New York-JFK and Bucharest*, for instance, will reduce travel times by more than four hours in each direction when compared to connections on other major airlines via Europe.

Other routes where Delta will offer time savings as the only U.S. carrier operating nonstop trans-Atlantic service include: Athens, Greece; Budapest, Hungary; Dakar, Senegal*; Dubai, UAE*; Dusseldorf, Germany; Istanbul, Turkey; Kiev, Ukraine; Moscow, Russia; Nice, France; Pisa/Florence, Italy*; Stuttgart, Germany; Prague, Czech Republic*; and Vienna, Austria*.

International fleet expansion To fund its ongoing international expansion, Delta will transition seven 767-400 aircraft to its international fleet by next summer bringing to 20 the number of aircraft moved from domestic to international flying since spring 2006. With the addition of these aircraft to Delta’s international fleet, all Delta flights to and from Asia will be operated with the 268-seat Boeing 777-200 aircraft while all long-range service to Europe and South America will feature 767-300 or 767-400 aircraft seating up to 214 and 246 passengers, respectively.

Beyond these fleet changes, Delta will retain the ability to transfer additional 767-400 widebody aircraft from domestic to international service for future expansion and is planning to add 10 long-range Boeing 757-200 aircraft to the fleet as early as 2007 that can be flown on both trans-Atlantic and Hawaiian routes.

“Delta maintains a competitive advantage against our peers in that we have the capability to grow international service with our existing fleet,” Hauenstein said. “Our large fleet of international-capable aircraft allows us to move into new and emerging international markets more quickly than any U.S.

carrier and to meet our customers’ demand for both business and leisure travel to new points around the globe.”

Enhanced customer service In addition to expanding the scope of its international route system, Delta also is enhancing the experience of business and economy class travel on long-haul flights.

Earlier this week, Delta announced that it will be the first U.S. airline to introduce fully horizontal lie-flat seats on its Boeing 777 fleet in 2008 to improve comfort for customers flying in the airline’s award-winning BusinessEite cabin on ultra long-haul routes between the United States and destinations such as Tokyo, Seoul, Mumbai and Tel Aviv.

Additionally, by June 2007, customers choosing to fly BusinessElite on any international flight will enjoy Delta’s enhanced service introduced this summer, including more comfortable seats with all-leather coverings, improved leg rests, more durable and comfortable cushioning throughout the seat, and the same 60 inches of legroom that has made BusinessElite a customer favorite. BusinessElite customers also will enjoy new innovative food offerings designed by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein, award-winning, original wine selections, and industry-leading, on-demand personal in-seat entertainment boasting more than 20 first-run and popular class movies, a variety of TV programs, a broad range of music, and a suite of 12 video games.

Customers flying in economy class on Delta’s newly reconfigured 767-400 and 777-200 aircraft will catch a glimpse of the future of Delta on-board entertainment with award-winning, on-demand entertainment at every seat as featured in the BusinessElite cabin and select long-haul domestic flights in the United States. On all flights, customers in economy class will enjoy Delta’s new all-leather seats, enhanced food offerings, a complimentary cocktail with each meal, and soon a complimentary amenity kit featuring eye shades and ear plugs.

On the ground, Delta is investing more than $50 million to improve facilities at both its Atlanta and New York-JFK hubs in time for the summer 2007 travel season. At New York, Delta has added a dedicated BusinessElite check-in area at Terminal 2; is refreshing the customs and immigration entrance; and has upgraded Crown Room Clubs and BusinessElite lounges. In Atlanta, Delta has added a new Crown Room Club on Concourse C, 14 new lower-level, full-service check-in positions, new international check-in kiosks, and by summer will complete the renovation of its main check-in lobby as well as the modernization of every departure gate on Concourse A, B and T.

“Building an international airline that is preferred by our customers takes more than offering a global network that flies anywhere our customers want to go,” Grinstein said. “We are also moving quickly to improve the convenience and comfort of the international experience on Delta with improved international self-service check-in options, improved facilities at our international hubs, new language versions of our delta.com Web site, and dozens of on-board improvements from new seats to improved meals to added amenities in our economy cabins.”

To celebrate the new service, Delta is offering special low introductory fares on its new routes to invite customers to try its newest destinations. Customers should act fast, however, as these discounted fares must be purchased no later than Oct. 26. Sample one-way fares, based on a round-trip purchase, include:

From To One-way fare* Atlanta Prague, Czech Republic $349 Vienna, Austria $499 Dubai, United Arab Emirates $699 Seoul, South Korea $739 New York-JFK Pisa/Florence, Italy $499 Bucharest, Romania $499 *Additional taxes/fees/restrictions apply. Fares shown are available for purchase only on delta.com or from a travel agent. See below for more details.
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