Brazil - Delta wins nod to serve Brasilia

By David Field

Delta Air Lines has won Transportation Department clearance to begin non-stop flights between Brasilia and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

The carrier says it will begin the flights with three roundtrips per week, starting 17 December. These will be the only direct flights between Brazil's capital city and the USA. Previously Delta told regulators it would operate 174-seat Boeing 757s on the route.

The DOT, granting an exemption for the rights through 8 August 2010, issued the route authority to both Delta and to its subsidiary Northwest Airlines. The two carriers merged under the Delta name in October 2008.