KUWAIT CITY: "It is great opportunity not only from business point of view but also for people from Kuwait to visit the famous southern half of United States" said Deborah Jones, US Ambassador to Kuwait at the celebratory party Sunday to mark the inauguration of Delta Airline's first direct non-stop flight between Kuwait and Atlanta. The event, which was attended by members of the American community, officials from Delta Airlines and Al Shamel Travel Agency (general sales agent of Delta in Kuwait), was held at Movenpick Hotel. "As Kuwaitis get to know Americans more and more and Americans get to know Kuwaitis, it makes the difference in how we understand each other", the Ambassador added. To know is not necessarily to love us , but to understand and this will help us to face the challenges together in this part of the world, she quipped. She also expressed hope that the flight will facilitate an increase in traffic between the two countries.
The non-stop service from Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport to the capital of Kuwait started operating on Nov 7 and flights from Kuwait City to Atlanta commenced on the following day. Four nonstop services a week will operate between the two destinations. Flight DL 159 from Kuwait to Atlanta leaves at 11:35 pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays to touch down in the US at 7:05 am the next day. The Monday flight will depart Kuwait at 12:10 am to arrive in Atlanta at 7:40am on the same day. Flight DL 158 to Kuwait City from Atlanta will depart at 9:50 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays to arrive the next day at 7:5pm at the Kuwait International Airport. The new flight is also expected to offer opportunities for freight forwarders and cargo shippers.
Jimmy Eichelgruen, Director Sales (Middle East, Africa and India) in his speech said that the inaugural flight between the commercial hub of Kuwait and the commercial hub of South Eastern United States is a landmark event for the growth of the airline in Kuwait. "We are committed to provide our customers with best overall travel experience" he stated.
Traffic between the United States and Middle East is one of the fastest growing today in the aviation and this flight will strengthen Delta position in the region, complementing the existing flights from Dubai to Atlanta and from Amman to New York City, he added.
Elaborating on the benefits for the customers, Jimmy said that the Atlanta flight will have 150 onward connections to destinations across the USA and over 30 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbeans. "This extent of connectivity is unrivalled by our competitors" he said. He expressed hope that the flights, all using the state-of-the-art Boeing 777, will be popular with both business and economic travelers. Delta's BusinessElite class service will enjoy all leather sleeper seats with 152 inches of legroom, innovative food designed by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein, on demand personal in-seat entertainment, as well as upgraded pillow, duvet cover and amenity kit.
Economy class customers will also enjoy all-leather seats, amenity kits and recently enhanced food offerings. On flights to and from Kuwait, Delta's service also features Arabic-speaking flight attendants, in-flight movies with Arabic subtitles, as well as Halal meal options in BusinessElite and Middle Eastern selections in economy.
The Middle East is a key component of Delta's international expansion. Since 2005, the airline has added more than 60 new international destinations to its network, and Delta is now the leading carrier across the Atlantic with 44 destinations.
It is also a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 499 worldwide destinations in 105 countries.
By John Mathews
© Arab Times 2008
