Delta Air Lines’ CEO got candid during a roundtable discussion with local business leaders in Minneapolis and spoke about the carrier’s plans to welcome new airplanes that would allow it to resume services to places like India. The carrier hasn’t flown to India in the last few years, and recent geopolitical issues have affected its plans to resume flights.
The Airbus A350-1000 will allow new ultra-long-haul flights
At a recent roundtable discussion, 
Delta Air Lines
CEO Ed Bastian discussed, among many other things, the carrier’s plans to start services on several long-haul routes once the new long-range Airbus A350-1000 aircraft arrive in its fleet.
According to Thrifty Traveler, Delta is eyeing flights to India, Saudi Arabia, and beyond in the coming years. Delta once had scheduled flights to Mumbai but has not served India since the pandemic.
Photo: Andreas Zeitler | Shutterstock
But that can change once it gets its A350-1000 planes, which can cover the massive distance between the United States and India. Bastian added, “We really want to serve that market directly,” and said that passengers can expect nonstop flights to India “within the next couple of years.”
The current issue with India flights
A lot has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced Delta, along with many other global airlines, to axe several routes from its network. The Russia-Ukraine war and the resulting sanctions have closed Russian airspace for most Western carriers, including those in the US.
Russia is essential for air connectivity between the US and India, and while airlines can still operate flights between the two countries with an alternative route (American Airlines flies to New Delhi), it has its disadvantages.
Photo: StudioPortoSabbia | Shutterstock
Delta’s current Airbus A350-900 can make the journey to India but will have to compromise on the number of passengers or cargo it can carry, given the circuitous route. Interestingly, Indian carriers like Air India are allowed to use Russian airspace, allowing the carrier to save fuel and time compared to US carriers. But once Delta acquires the A350-1000, it wouldn’t face such problems because of the longer range of the aircraft.
Partnering with airlines
Delta is building a solid foundation even before beginning flights to India and Saudi Arabia by forming partnerships with local airlines. For example, it has
already signed a partnership deal with the yet-to-start Riyadh Air
, with the hope of strengthening connectivity and expanding both carriers’ networks.
Even for its India flights and connectivity, Delta plans to partner with the country’s biggest airline, IndiGo. Bastian said that Delta would soon announce the partnership with the Indian low-cost giant but did not provide any more details about the structure or extent of that partnership.
Photo: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock
Another
partnership of Delta’s that received significant press coverage this year is that with Aeromexico
. The DOT said earlier this year that the two airlines must prepare to break the deal, but Thrifty Traveler quotes Peter Carter, Delta’s executive vice president for external affairs, as saying,
“We’re expecting that we will get an order, which will be good news. We were expecting that they were going to terminate the joint venture, basically, by May. And our joint venture is alive and well.”
