Delta has unveiled two more international long-haul routes that will get to see its new Airbus A350 aircraft – Shanghai and Amsterdam.
The A350 will fly to both destinations from Delta’s hub at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, bringing the total number of international routes flown by the A350 out of Detroit to five. First to get the A350 of the two routes will be Amsterdam – the first trans-Atlantic destination in Delta’s network to see the aircraft – starting March 31 next year. This will then be followed by the aircraft’s debut on Delta’s Shanghai route from April 19.
Delta configures its A350s with 32 Delta One Suites each with a full-height door, full-flat bed and direct aisle access, 48 Delta Premium Select (premium economy) seats configured 2-4-2, and 226 Main Cabin (economy) seats in a 3-3-3 layout.
Delta’s deployment of the A350 to Shanghai further reinforces the airline’s avid focus on North Asia in recent months, much of which has been driven by its new aircraft, of which it first took delivery in July. Tokyo Narita will be the airline’s first route to see the A350 at the end of this month, followed by Seoul (which will be getting the A350 on two routes, first from Detroit then from Atlanta), Beijing and now Shanghai.
The carrier has also been developing new routes into Asia-Pacific, notably its fourth Shanghai route that will connect the city with its main Atlanta hub next July (flown by its Boeing 777-200LR), along with its Atlanta service to Seoul.
Amsterdam, meanwhile, will be getting the A350 on just one of its four daily flights (the airline’s schedule currently still shows the A330 operating all four services). “Amsterdam is our largest European hub and we’re delighted that Delta customers and those of our joint venture partner, KLM, will be able to enjoy an all-new Delta in-flight experience between Europe and the US,” said Dwight James, Delta’s senior vice-president – trans-Atlantic.
A day before the A350 heads to Amsterdam, however, Delta is set to launch its new non-stop daily service from Orlando International to the Netherlands capital. This route will be flown by the airline’s B767-300ER.
