Delta Air Lines plans to launch daily non-stop flights between Atlanta and Stockholm next summer as it heads into the third year of its international expansion.
With the addition of the Swedish capital to its network, Delta said it will offer flights from Atlanta to all but four of the top 25 European passenger markets. Delta announced the new service, which begins June 3, on Monday.
The airline, which emerged from bankruptcy almost five months ago, has pinned much of its recovery on redrawing its route map to shift more planes from domestic flying to more profitable overseas flights. The Atlanta carrier said it has launched 33 new international routes since 2005 from Atlanta, its largest hub.
But Delta has indicated that much of its focus next year will shift to building its overseas route network out of New York. Delta has already been expanding its operations at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, turning it into a key hub over the past year.
With the addition of the Stockholm flight, meanwhile, Delta said it will be flying non-stop to more than 80 overseas destinations from Atlanta by next summer. Delta plans to operate six flights per week using 214-seat Boeing 767s.
"Delta's successive expansion into global markets continues to bolster the company's financial position and provides a diversified portfolio of options for our international customers," Delta executive vice president Glen Hauenstein said in a news release.
Delta said 55 Swedish companies operate in Georgia and about 900 U.S. companies have operations in Sweden.
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