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News / Transpacific Airbus A330 service: Delta Air Lines commences Seattle-Taipei flights
SEA-TPE route connects people, cultures, and business opportunities, fostering stronger ties between regions for future growth
On June 6, Delta Air Lines commenced a direct flight between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Taiwan’s Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). The inaugural flight was celebrated at SEA, and several announcements were made.
A bridge that brings people closer together
To Hasegawa, SEA is proud to be Delta Air Lines’ Pacific hub and; one should note the 50th was Lufthansa connecting SEA to Munich.
As such, here are the details about the new SEA-TPE route flying 6,074 miles or 9,775 kilometers:
| Route | Days | Depart | Arrivals | Flight No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEA to TPE | Daily | 11:45 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. (+1 day) | DL69 |
| TPE to SEA | Daily | 5:25 p.m. | 1:50 p.m. (same day) | DL68 |
But this was only the beginning of news about SEA.
Delta Air Lines President Glen Hauenstein makes several announcements
Delta Air Lines President Glen Hauenstein flew into SEA to make several announcements. Being President makes Hauenstein responsible for Delta’s network, revenue management, reservation sales, customer care, customer engagement, and loyalty strategies.
As such, Hauenstein was chosen to make the announcement that the SEA-TPE flights will be upgraded “next spring” from the Airbus A330-900 to the Airbus A350-900 to meet increasing demand for “all the best amenities in the sky that Delta is known for and significantly increased cargo capability”.
Additionally, while the A330-900 has 281 passengers, the A350-900 has 306 passenger seats and a reduced fuel burn. Plus, the A350-900 is more optimized for long-haul.
According to Delta Cargo, the A330-900 can carry up to 29 LD-3 / 6 PMC/P6P pallets, while the A350-900 can carry a maximum of 36 LD-3 / 11 PMC/P6P pallets. The additional air cargo capacity is a shared priority of Delta Air Lines and SEA.
Oh, and one can order a new 1:400 NG model of N412DX, the first aircraft to fly the route, from an honorable airplane model store or eBay.
To conclude, President Glen Hauenstein had a packed schedule and employees to connect with, but graciously let me take a photo with him and ask one question. So I asked about the possibility of Delta Air Lines buying a Boom Supersonic Overture. To Hauenstein, the possibility of Boom Supersonic was "sometime in the future" but Hauenstein shared light optimism for Boom Supersonic.
Announcing a request for a Reagan National Airport slot
There was also an announcement made about Delta Air Lines applying for a slot of Washington DC's Reagan National Airport to connect to SEA.
