FRANKFURT, June 17 2014 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) today celebrates the 35^th anniversary of its maiden flight between Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Frankfurt Airport. This flight was launched on June 17, 1979 and the anniversary corresponds with the celebration of Delta’s 85th anniversary of passenger service, dating back to its first passenger flight from Dallas to Jackson, Mississippi, on the same day in 1929.

The flight to Frankfurt was operated four-times weekly with a Lockheed L1011-500 aircraft, which carried up to 218 passengers, with 12 in first class, 23 in business class and 183 in economy class. Today, Delta operates daily service between Frankfurt and Atlanta with a Boeing 767-400 aircraft with 245 seats, with 39 in BusinessElite, 28 in Economy Comfort and 178 in economy class.

Delta has grown its presence in Germany and currently operates daily service from four cities in Germany, namely Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, and Dusseldorf with flights to New York-JFK, Atlanta and Detroit.  Last year, Delta carried over 800,000 passengers between Germany and the United States with popular onward destinations including Florida and San Francisco.

“This flight marked a milestone in Delta’s history,” said Thomas Brandt, Delta’s sales manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  “Thirty-five years later, in the year that we celebrate Delta’s 85^th anniversary of passenger flights, Germany remains one of the most important destinations in our trans-Atlantic route network.”

Customers flying in BusinessElite from Frankfurt enjoy forward-facing seats that convert to a 180-degree fully flat-bed and offer direct aisle access in a 1x2x1 configuration.  All feature a 10.6” individual screen and a broad range of on-demand entertainment. Delta offers over 3,000 flat-bed seats a week between Germany and the United States.

Delta also offers Economy Comfort where passengers can board early and enjoy complimentary spirits throughout the flight.  Delta offers 2,500 Economy Comfort seats per week between Germany and the United States.

Delta flights between Germany and the United States are available for booking via Delta’s dedicated Germany reservations team on +49 (0)1 806 805 872, travel agents,  or online at delta.com.