Delta Air Lines has secured authorisation to launch two weekly fights from its Detroit hub to Sao Paulo, Brazil beginning 21 October.
The frequencies pegged for the new Sao Paulo flights are in Delta's current portfolio that includes 23 unrestricted US-Brazil frequencies, but the carrier still needed formal approval to launch the new service.
Delta plans to place 216-seat Boeing 767-300ERs featuring 35 seats in its BusinessElite and 181 in economy on the new flights from Detroit to Sao Paulo. The carrier already offers service to Sao Paulo from its Atlanta hub.
Delta is also vying for additional US-Brazil frequencies recently made available under a previous agreement by the two countries to expand the overall number of flights between the two countries.
Although infrastructure constraints at Sao Paulo restrict airlines from using the new frequencies to serve the airport, Delta is still seeking five of the new frequencies to serve the city. The carrier argues ultimately those frequencies are usable at Sao Paulo, and regulators need to consider the best use of frequencies in the long-term in their evaluations.
Schedules in the Innovata database show American currently serves Sao Paulo nonstop from its Dallas and Miami hubs and from New York's JFK. Continental also offers nonstop flights from its Newark and Houston hubs.
American Airlines has also applied for 11 weekly frequencies from the newly available pool for flights between New York's JFK and Rio de Janeiro and four weekly flights from Miami to Brasilia.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
