BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Motion of 

 DELTA AIR LINES, INC. and 

 NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC. 

for a dormancy waiver 

(U.S.-China Combination Frequencies) 

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Dockets OST-2007- 28567 

 OST-2004-18469 

REPLY OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC. TO

UNITED AIR LINES, INC.

Communications with respect to this document should be addressed to: 

 

 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

 

April 28, 2010 
BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Motion of 

 DELTA AIR LINES, INC. and 

 NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC. 

for a dormancy waiver 

(U.S.-China Combination Frequencies) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

Dockets OST-2007-28567 

 OST-2004-18469 

REPLY OF DELTA AIR LINES, INC. TO

UNITED AIR LINES, INC.

On April 21, 2010, Delta sought a dormancy waiver for two of its Seattle-Beijing 

frequencies, and seven of its Atlanta-Shanghai frequencies. Delta believes that its 

waiver request is in the public interest and is supported by important new factual 

developments applicable to the subject routes. 

 Delta is implementing new nonstop service on the Seattle-Beijing route, which 

commences on June 4, 2010. These services are currently open and available for sale 

to the public. Delta’s Seattle-Beijing flight will operate at a level of five weekly 

frequencies this summer. Delta hopes to expand this service and believes that it is in 

the public interest to provide Delta with the waiver relief it needs to establish a daily 

service pattern in the future. 

Atlanta is the world’s largest airline hub, and Delta previously operated AtlantaShanghai nonstop service prior to the precipitous fall of traffic associated with the global 

financial crisis. Those conditions are now improving. In addition, on April 16, 2010, 

China Eastern announced that it was joining SkyTeam. Delta’s CEO welcomed China 

Eastern to the alliance: 

China Eastern is an outstanding airline with a strong leadership 

team and a proud history of serving its customers. We are 
Reply of Delta 

Page 2 

honored that another leading global airline has chosen to link its 

future growth and success with Delta and our SkyTeam 

partners," said Delta Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson. 

"China Eastern's extensive network and growing hub in Shanghai 

will complement Delta's existing service to China and improve 

our customers' access to destinations across one of the world's 

fastest-growing regions. (See, Attached Press Release Dated 

April 16, 2010). 

The significant additional traffic flows that are enabled by the new Delta-China Eastern 

partnership on this key hub-to-hub route will promote the restoration of Atlanta-Shanghai 

service, and Delta submits that it is in the public interest to grant Delta the waiver it 

requires to plan and implement this service. 

` On April 27, United Air Lines filed an Answer to Delta’s waiver request. United 

asserts that Delta’s waiver should not be granted unless the Department also approves 

United’s waiver request for San Francisco-Guangzhou service. While Delta takes no 

position on United’s waiver, Delta believes that these waiver requests need to be 

decided on their own merits. Delta believes that its request merits favorable 

consideration by DOT and should be granted. The United and Delta waivers are distinct 

and there is no basis for the linkage which United seeks to impose. This approach is 

consistent with the Department’s longstanding policy and precedent, which is to weigh 

each waiver request on its own particular facts and public interest merits. In contrast to 

Delta, which has immediate service plans (in the case of Seattle-Beijing) and a prior 

history of nonstop service (in the case of Atlanta-Shanghai), United has never operated 

nonstop service on San Francisco-Guangzhou. Nor has United asserted any significant 

new factual developments – such as a major new alliance partner hubbed at its intended 

China gateway. Accordingly, while Delta does not oppose United’s request, Delta 

submits that each request should be judged separately, on its own merits. 
Reply of Delta 

Page 3 

 WHEREFORE, Delta respectfully requests that its waiver requests for SeattleBeijing and Atlanta-Shanghai be granted. 

Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________ 

Alexander Van der Bellen 

Managing Director, Government Affairs 

 & Associate General Counsel 

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. 

 
Delta Air Lines Welcomes China Eastern's Application to Join 

SkyTeam Alliance 

Apr 16, 2010

SHANGHAI, April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today issued the following 

statement in support of China Eastern's signing of a memorandum of understanding to join the SkyTeam 

global airline alliance. 

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090202/DELTALOGO )

"China Eastern is an outstanding airline with a strong leadership team and a proud history of serving its 

customers. We are honored that another leading global airline has chosen to link its future growth and 

success with Delta and our SkyTeam partners," said Delta Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson. "China 

Eastern's extensive network and growing hub in Shanghai will complement Delta's existing service to China 

and improve our customers' access to destinations across one of the world's fastest-growing regions."

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With its unsurpassed global network, 

Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 355 destinations in 65 countries on six continents. 

Delta employs more than 70,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of nearly 800 aircraft. 

A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic

joint venture with Air France KLM. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more 

than 16,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. 

Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes 

the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world's largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning 

BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Customers can check in for 

flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.

SOURCE Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines Welcomes China Eastern's Application to Join SkyTeam Alliance - Apr 1... Page 1 of 1

http://news.delta.com/index.php?s=43&item=1002&printable 4/28/2010
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

 A copy of the foregoing Reply has been served this 28th day of April, 2010, upon 

the following persons via email: 

carl.nelson@aa.com 

dan.weiss@coair.com 

hkamen@coair.com 

rbkeiner@crowell.com 

jeffrey.manley@united.com 

julie.oettinger@united.com 

howard.kass@usairways.com 

benjamin.slocum@usairways.com 

esta.rosenberg@dot.gov 

keith.glatz@dot.gov 

mike.orr@airlineinfo.com