Delta Air Lines: Next stop from Minneapolis – Shanghai!

Delta Air Lines has submitted a proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch a new route to Shanghai from its Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) pending government approvals. Service would begin in June 2020 on Delta’s flagship Airbus A350-900, providing first-ever nonstop China service from Minnesota.

Delta Air Lines plans to connect its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub and China for the first time in 2020, with a proposed route to Shanghai.

Commercial airline service between the U.S. and China is governed by existing agreements that limit the ability of U.S. and Chinese carriers to establish new flying between the two countries. Currently, however, there is availability for additional U.S.-China service that is not being utilized.

In its proposal to the DOT, Delta outlines its ability to offer travelers access to more than 70 destinations in China beyond Shanghai in cooperation with partners China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines. In addition, Chinese customers would be able to connect to more than 100 U.S. destinations through a single connection at Delta’s MSP hub.