G’day LA! Airline Giant Makes Melbourne Debut

One of the world’s largest airlines has touched down in Victoria for the first time.

Delta Air Lines’ inaugural flight from Los Angeles landed at Melbourne Airport on Friday to be greeted by the traditional water cannon salute.

Operated by a long-haul Airbus A350 aircraft, flight DL11 also had a tarmac welcome from local indigenous dancers, heralding the start of what’s expected to be a record summer for international passenger numbers at Melbourne Airport.

More than seven million travellers are expected across December and January, including more than 2.5 million international passengers.

Delta is the first airline to fly the A350 non-stop from Melbourne and the United States, with the 275-seat aircraft fitted with Delta’s four-class cabin, including 40 premium Delta One suites.

The new flight will feed into Delta’s busy Los Angeles hub, where the airline is the largest premium carrier and provides convenient onward connections to more than 40 cities in the United States.

“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,” said Lorie Angus, Melbourne Airport CEO.

“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.”

Colin Brooks, Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, said the new flights would make it even easier for Americans to choose Victoria.

“This deal delivers an extra 86,000 seats a year between Victoria and the United States,” he said.

“Delta’s arrival is 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.”

melbourneairport.com.au

https://www.delta.com/apac/en