Delta Airlines launches first nonstop flight to China

US-based Delta Airlines launched its first-ever nonstop flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport on March 29, “This flight will establish Atlanta as a powerful new Chinese gateway by providing new connectivity and convenience for passengers from across the U.S., as well as Central and South America and the Caribbean,” said Lee Macenczak, Delta’s executive vice president of Sales and Marketing. Pudong is located 19 miles southeast of Shanghai’s city center. While not the product of an open skies agreement, the route is a very big deal for Delta. It’s the carrier’s first foray into China. Shanghai is the commercial epicenter of China, a place growing at a significant clip and attracting a significant number of American travelers, most of them business flyers. The new nonstop route, says Delta, means flyers will shave at least three hours off previous one-stop itineraries that connected via other US or Asian hubs. The ATL–Shanghai trip takes about 15 hours and 40 minutes.