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Delta Air Lines has arrived in Melbourne, with a new service to Los Angeles putting the American carrier in direct competition with Qantas and United.
Flight DL11 from LAX touched down at 7:30am on Friday aboard N527DN, the first A350-900 operated non-stop by a major American airline to Melbourne. Flights will operate three times per week on the 275-seater A350 fleet.
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“Delta is one of the largest airlines in the world and its network opens up incredible opportunities for trade and travel in both North and South America,” Lorie Argus, chief executive of Melbourne Airport, said.
“This new service will help bring hundreds of extra visitors to our state each week, which will help support Victoria’s world-class tourism, dining and hospitality venues.
“North America is an incredibly important market for us, and we know that simply by being on Delta’s route map, more American tourists will be inclined to make Melbourne their first stop in Australia.”
Delta’s arrival pits the newcomer against both Qantas and United Airlines, each of which operates services to LAX; United also flies to San Francisco, while Qantas flies to Dallas–Fort Worth. It comes ahead of the Los Angeles Rams playing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next year.
“The additional capacity Delta is providing will help ensure Victoria can capitalise on the huge exposure the NFL will generate,” Argus said.
“Having Delta flying across the Pacific will also make it easier for Victorian businesses to connect with one of our key trading partners and Victorian families wanting to travel to Disneyland or North American ski fields.
“This will be a record summer of international travel for Melbourne Airport with more than 2.5 million people expected through our international terminal across December and January.”
The new flights were enabled via the Victorian government’s $7 million Industry Partnership Program. More than $385 million in visitor spending comes from the US into Victoria every year, making it the state’s fifth largest international market.
According to Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing Colin Brooks, the deal would “improve trade ties and provide new opportunities for exporters, with producers now able to access more reliable and direct access to one of the world’s biggest consumer markets”.
“This deal delivers an extra 86,000 seats a year between Victoria and the United States – a huge win for travellers and tourism operators, and a major boost for jobs with more freight capacity opening new opportunities for producers across food, technology and manufacturing.”
LAX is one of the US’s most popular hub airports, providing onward connections to more than 190 domestic and international destinations.
