Friday, June 4, 2004

International flights on the rise Travelers passing through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will have a greater selection of flight destinations to choose from this year. In March, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced plans to re-enter the Atlanta market during the third quarter of 2004. KLM is scheduled to resume flight operations in the state by offering customers daily roundtrip service between Atlanta and Amsterdam, Netherlands beginning Sunday, Oct. 31. “The entire airport community welcomes the return of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines,” said Aviation General Manager Ben DeCosta. “KLM is a solid organization with a strong commitment to its customers.” KLM will resume operations after suspending its Atlanta route shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. A recovering economy and increasing traffic demands were factors considered in the airline’s decision to return to the Airport. It is expected that passenger traffic will increase sharply on the hub-to-hub connection between Atlanta and Amsterdam. Earlier this year Delta Air Lines, Hartsfield-Jackson’s main hub carrier, also announced plans to increase its flight service between Atlanta and Cancún, Mexico, and Atlanta and St. Lucia. The airline’s daily flights to Cancún began April 4. Delta and SkyTeam partner Aeromexico now offer a total of three daily flights between Atlanta and Cancún. Delta also added a non-stop daily flight to St. Lucia April 1 and a second daily flight to Liberia, Costa Rica April 4. “Atlanta is a strong market for global air carriers seeking to expand their international routes. In 2003, Hartsfield-Jackson retained its title as the world’s busiest passenger airport accommodating more than 79 million travelers. Among those passengers, we welcomed more than five million international passengers,” said DeCosta. Ê

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