Delta Airlines Sets Record Straight

“Delta is not leaving Athens on a permanent basis, but will instead exit the market during the deep winter, when demand for air service between the U.S. and Greece is at its lowest point,” Evan Plaskett, international network planning for Delta Airlines, said in an official letter to Yiorgos Tsakiris, president of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels.

In June, the chamber’s president sent a letter to Delta Airlines in which he requested the revision of the airline company’s decision announced in May to terminate the daily direct New York-Athens flight as of October this year.

In his response, Mr. Plaskett explained that “despite excellent summer performance,” the New York-Athens service had struggled during the winter due to a poor fare environment and escalation in fuel prices.

He noted that Delta would suspend the operation effective 28 October 2012 and restart New York-Athens on 30 March 2013. US-based Delta is the only carrier that operates direct New York-Athens flights.

Delta Airlines was just one of the many carriers that announced direct air connection cuts from major destinations to the Greek capital.