DAL Delta Air Lines Inc

NEW YORK, May 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will launch its new nonstop flight between New York's John F. Kennedy airport and Edinburgh, Scotland, today, offering more on-board amenities than any other airline serving this route. The new year-round service extends Delta's U.K. network into Scotland.

"Delta connects our customers to the world with more flights from New York than any other carrier, and we are proud to add Edinburgh to our global network," said Henry Kuykendall, Delta's Vice President – New York.

"We're looking forward to bringing thousands more American visitors to Scotland," said Frank Jahangir, Delta's Vice President – Sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa. "As the only year-round nonstop flight between New York and Edinburgh, we are confident that the route will expand trade and tourism opportunities. VisitScotland statistics estimate that the new flight has the potential to bring an additional £23 million to the Scottish tourism industry in one year alone."

According to the U.K.'s Office for National Statistics, the United States is the number-one inbound tourism market to Scotland, with nearly a half-million visitors in 2014 – an increase of 100,000 compared to the previous year. Overall tourism expenditure in the country stood around $14 billion in 2014.

"Scottish tourism punches above its weight on the world stage, and this new Delta service from New York to Edinburgh will be another fantastic boost, strengthening our connectivity in the North American market by unlocking Delta's vast domestic network," said Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland.

Delta's New York to Edinburgh service will initially be operated using a 163-seat Boeing 757-200ER, with a larger 210-seat widebody Boeing 767-300ER during the summer months, effective June 8, 2016. Beginning September 5, 2016, the 757-200ER will operate on the route.

"This direct new route between New York and Edinburgh is a great statement of confidence from Delta both in New York and in Scotland," said Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport. "It is further confirmation of Edinburgh Airport's position as the leader for connectivity from the U.S. to Scotland. I congratulate Delta for recognizing the growing international demand for direct links to Edinburgh."

All flights from New York to Edinburgh will be equipped with Wi-Fi, allowing customers to stay connected at 30,000 feet, in addition to complimentary on-demand in-flight entertainment in all cabins. Movies and TV shows can also be downloaded to tablet and laptop devices.

Customers flying in Delta Comfort+, Delta's premium economy service, benefit from up to four additional inches of legroom and 50 percent more recline than Main Cabin seats, as well as priority boarding. Furthermore, Delta's flights from New York to Edinburgh feature fully flat-bed seats in the Delta One cabin, with Westin Heavenly Inflight Bedding from Westin Hotels & Resorts and TUMI amenity kits featuring products by MALIN + GOETZ. Customers enjoy a range of regional dining options in the Delta One cabin, with menu items produced using seasonal ingredients and paired with wines selected exclusively for Delta by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson.

Tickets for Delta's New York-Edinburgh service are available through Delta Air Lines on www.delta.com. Flights are operated in conjunction with joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic Airways.

The schedule for the new service between New York-JFK and Edinburgh is:

About Delta:

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year. In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fifth time in six years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 324 destinations in 58 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.

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SOURCE Delta Air Lines