Delta Airlines negotiates flights to US from Otopeni

US-based airline Delta Air Lines could introduce direct Romania-US flights next year. The American operator is now in talks with the representatives of the Henri Coanda International Airport of Bucharest (AIHCB, the former Otopeni). “Delta Air Lines has expressed interest in future operations from the Henri Coanda Airport,” stated Valentin Iordache, AIHCB’s head of external relations, quality and marketing. Delta Air Lines officials confirmed talks. “Part of the company’s strategy is to assess possibilities for expansion, but no decision has been made in this regard yet. We are evaluating new markets and new opportunities, but we have to take into account all the elements, such as the traffic between the two countries. We are considering destinations in Eastern Europe but have not made a decision about introducing flights to Romania, yet,” stated Olivia Cullis, regional manager of the international communication department of Delta Air Lines. The American company introduced 11 new destinations this year, two of which are Budapest and Kiev. There have been no direct Romania-US flights since December 2003, when Romanian airline Tarom dropped flights to destinations in the US. This decision has positively influenced the business of the international airlines on the domestic market. Under the circumstances, the entry of Delta Airlines could lead to major changes in the passenger traffic to US, because it could draw some of the passengers of other airlines on the Romanian market.