BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Application of 

 DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

 

for an allocation of U.S.-China frequencies 

(Detroit-Beijing and Tokyo-Guangzhou) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

Docket DOT-OST-2010- 

APPLICATION OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

FOR AN ALLOCATION OF FREQUENCIES

Communications with respect to this document should be addressed to: 

 

Glen Hauenstein 

Executive Vice President – Network Planning 

 & Revenue Management 

Robert J. Cortelyou 

Senior Vice President – Network Planning 

Andreas Renner 

Director – International Network Planning 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

1030 Delta Boulevard 

Atlanta, Georgia 30320 

Andrea Fischer Newman 

Senior Vice President – Government Affairs 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

1212 New York Avenue, N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20005 

Alexander Van der Bellen 

Managing Director – Government Affairs 

 & Associate General Counsel 

Jeff Morgan 

Regional Director – Government Affairs 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

1212 New York Avenue, N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20005 

(202) 842-4184 

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com

November 16, 2010 

NOTICE: Delta is polling on this Application and will inform the Department of the 

results as soon as possible. 
 

BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Application of 

 DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

 

for an allocation of U.S.-China frequencies 

(Detroit-Beijing and Tokyo-Guangzhou) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

Docket DOT-OST-2010- 

APPLICATION OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

FOR AN ALLOCATION OF FREQUENCIES

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (“Delta”) hereby applies for an allocation of 12 U.S.-China 

frequencies in order to provide scheduled combination service between (1) Detroit, Michigan 

(DTW) and Beijing, People’s Republic of China (PEK) and (2) Tokyo, Japan (NRT) and 

Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China (CAN).1

 

Delta proposes to operate five times weekly Detroit-Beijing service beginning July 1, 

2011, using Boeing 777-200ER equipment with 278 seats (45 flat bed seats in BusinessElite 

and 233 seats in economy class). Delta proposes to operate daily Tokyo Narita-Guangzhou 

service beginning April 6, 2011, using Boeing 767-300ER equipment with 217 seats (36 

seats in BusinessElite and 181 seats in economy class). Proposed schedules are provided 

at Exhibits DL-1 and DL-2. 

 Detroit is the largest and fastest-growing eastern U.S. hub for service to Asia. 

From Detroit, Delta will offer nonstop-to-nonstop connections to more than 100 U.S. cities, 

as well as providing important benefits for the large and important Detroit local market and 

the resurgent U.S. automobile industry headquarted there. Detroit-Beijing service will build 

on the success of Delta’s two existing Detroit-China routes: Detroit-Shanghai, which was 

 

1

 Delta’s Tokyo-Guangzhou route will initially originate in San Francisco. To the extent necessary, 

Delta provides notice that its Guangzhou service may originate from other U.S. gateways in the 

future. 
Application of Delta 

Page 2 

launched in June 2009, and Detroit-Hong Kong, which was launched in June 2010. With the 

addition of Detroit-Beijing service, Delta will offer seven nonstop destinations in Asia from 

Detroit, including Shanghai, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Nagoya. 

Delta’s proposed Guangzhou-Tokyo service will be the only U.S. flag service to 

Guangzhou, China’s third-largest city and major industrial-manufacturing center. 

Guangzhou is the only China “Zone 1” city that currently does not have a direct U.S. flag 

presence. (Delta previously operated Guangzhou service, which was temporarily 

suspended during the global financial crisis). Delta plans to resume service with larger 

widebody B-767-300ER aircraft, which will provide an enhanced customer experience as 

well as important additional freight carrying capacity. The new service will stimulate travel 

and trade between the U.S. and China’s Pearl River Delta region, with service via Delta’s 

Narita hub to 12 nonstop U.S. gateways including Atlanta, New York, Seattle, San 

Francisco, and Los Angeles, and with onward connections to over 200 additional cities in 

North America. 

Delta holds the necessary underlying authority to operate services on the proposed 

routes. Detroit-Beijing is an authorized route on Delta’s certificate for Route 378. See

Docket DOT-OST-1995-969 (pending renewal application filed June 5, 2006) and Order 

2009-1-8 (reissuing Northwest Airlines, Inc. authorities in Delta’s name). With respect to 

Tokyo-Guangzhou, Delta holds underlying authority to operate service to Guangzhou from 

various U.S. points via Japan pursuant to its certificate for Route 378. See Docket DOTOST-1997-3177 (pending renewal application filed August 1, 2003) and Order 2009-1-8 

(reissuing Northwest’s authorities in Delta’s name). Delta hereby gives notice to the extent 

necessary that it will integrate its authority to serve Guangzhou with its authority to serve 

U.S. points under its blanket open skies certificate (Order 2007-4-27) in order to offer U.S.-

Tokyo-Guangzhou service. See Order 2006-1-1. 
Application of Delta 

Page 3 

Delta’s proposed services are fully consistent with the Air Transport Agreements 

between the U.S. and Japan and between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China. 

Under the U.S.-China agreement, 14 scheduled combination frequencies are unallocated 

and immediately available to support Delta’s proposed services. Ample Japan-China fifth 

freedom frequencies also exist to accommodate Delta’s proposed Tokyo-Guangzhou 

service. 

After the grant of Delta’s request for 12 new China frequencies, two frequencies will 

remain immediately available for allocation. In addition, 14 new frequencies become 

available for allocation on each of March 25, 2011 and March 15, 2012, for a total of 30 

Zone 1 China frequencies.2

Delta anticipates no difficulty obtaining fuel for the proposed services from its regular 

supplier. The environmental impacts of the service will be de minimis. Because Delta 

would otherwise fully deploy these aircraft elsewhere in its network, there will not be a near 

term net change in aircraft fuel consumption of more than 10 million gallons. 

WHEREFORE, Delta requests that the Department grant this application for an 

allocation of 12 U.S.-China frequencies for Detroit-Beijing and Tokyo-Guangzhou service as 

described herein. 

 

2

 Delta holds seven China frequencies (two for Seattle-Beijing and five for Atlanta-Shanghai) that are 

protected by dormancy relief. See Department approval dated May 20, 2010 in dockets DOT-OST2004-18469 and DOT-OST-2007-28567. Delta is already providing five weekly Seattle-Beijing flights 

and announced today the resumption of two weekly Atlanta-Shanghai flights. Given the ample China 

frequencies that will remain after the grant of Delta’s instant request, it is in the public interest to allow 

Delta to continue to hold the China frequencies allocated for Seattle-Beijing and Atlanta-Shanghai. In 

these circumstances, neither Seattle nor Atlanta should be stripped of China frequencies that are 

necessary to fund the future expansion and potential for daily service at those important gateways. 
Application of Delta 

Page 4 

Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________ 

Alexander Van der Bellen 

Managing Director, Government Affairs 

 & Associate General Counsel 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 
Delta’s Detroit – Beijing Nonstop Schedule 

DL 189

x24

Boeing 777-200ER

Flight Number

Frequency

Equipment

DL 1

x35

Boeing 777

1930

2105

13:35

0845

0725

13:2

Detroit (DTW)

Beijing (PEK)

Elapsed Time

+1

Note: All times are local.

Effective July 1, 2011

AIRCRAFT AVAILABILITY: Delta will use aircraft currently in its fleet. FUEL AVAILABILITY: Delta anticipates no difficulty in obtaining fuel from its existinsuppliers at Detroit and Beijing.
Delta’s Tokyo – Guangzhou Nonstop Schedule 

DL 209

Daily

Boeing 767-300ER

Flight Number

Frequency

Equipment

DL 2

Dail

Boeing 767

1900

2320

5:20

1320

0755

4:25

Tokyo (NRT)

Guangzhou (CAN)

Elapsed Time

Note: All times are local.

Effective April 6, 2011

AIRCRAFT AVAILABILITY: Delta will use aircraft currently in its fleet. FUEL AVAILABILITY: Delta anticipates no difficulty in obtaining fuel from suppliers Tokyo and Guangzhou.
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

A copy of the foregoing document has been served this 16th day of November, 2010, 

upon the following persons via email: 

carl.nelson@aa.com 

dan.weiss@coair.com 

hershel.kamen@coair.com 

jeffrey.manley@united.com 

steve.morrissey@united.com 

howard.kass@usairways.com 

benjamin.slocum@usairways.com 

nssparks@fedex.com 

gbleopard@fedex.com 

dfisher@kelleydrye.com (for UPS) 

esauer@ssd.com (for Evergreen) 

rpommer@atlasair.com 

kevin.montgomery@polaraircargo.com 

paul.gretch@dot.gov 

keith.glatz@dot.gov 

esta.rosenberg@dot.gov 

UrsKR@state.gov 

info@airlineinfo.com