Delta Air Lines this week officially launched nonstop flights from Detroit Metro Airport to Rome and Shanghai. The daily flights will be operated by Delta's
Northwest Airlines subsidiary.
Rome and Shaghai round out a total of sixth transatlantic
destinations for Detroit Metro, after Amman, London-Heathrow, Paris, Amsterdam and
Frankfurt.
The Airport Authority previously estimated that new flights to
Shanghai would stimulate approximately $95 million annually for
the Michigan economy.
Following its merger with Northwest Airlines in October, Delta Air
Lines and its subsidiaries are the dominant airline at Detroit Metro,
where Delta operates its second-largest hub and primary Asian gateway.
Prior to the start of Delta's new Rome and Shanghai flights, Italy and
China rank as the second and third largest markets without nonstop
flights from Detroit, respectively. According to data provided by Sabre
Airline Solutions, nearly 60,000 passengers travel between Detroit and
Italy each year.