Here's their press release. They will become the only US airline to fly to Venice.
DELTA AIR LINES CHOSEN FOR NONSTOP SERVICE FROM ATLANTA TO ROME; FLIGHTS BEGIN JUNE 1, 1999

23 Feb 1999


ATLANTA, GA, February 23, 1999 -- Delta Air Lines said today the U.S.
Department of Transportation has approved its application seeking authority to
operate daily, nonstop service between Atlanta and Rome. Delta was selected
to operate the route over competing applications from American Airlines and US
Airways.

Fred Reid, Delta’s chief marketing officer, said, “Delta is extremely
pleased the Department used this valuable award to bring Atlanta its first
nonstop service to Italy. Travelers and shippers in Atlanta and throughout
the entire southeastern U.S. will now have much more convenient access to
Italy.”

Reid said the new Atlanta flight, which resulted from recent U.S.-Italy
aviation negotiations, would begin June 1, 1999. Delta will use a MD-11
aircraft configured in two classes, featuring the new BusinessElite
international premium class product.

In thanking local and regional elected officials and businesses who
supported Delta’s application for this service, Reid said, “We were
overwhelmed by the amount of support our application received. This support
clearly reflected the strong demand for nonstop service to Italy from Georgia
and the entire southeastern U.S.”

Reid noted that no U.S. carrier currently offers service to Italy from
any city south of Washington, DC.

The new Atlanta flight will compliment Delta’s existing daily service to
Rome and Milan from New York (JFK). In November 1998, Delta stated that it
plans to initiate the first-ever daily nonstop service from Atlanta to Milan
and new service from New York (JFK) to Venice as soon as the required
regulatory authority is available. Delta also stated it will extend its
second daily New York - Rome flight, currently offered on a summer seasonal
basis, to a year-round service.

The Rome to Atlanta flight will offer nonstop direct connections to over
100 U.S. cities. From its Atlanta Worldport hub, Delta and the Delta
Connection carriers offer 853 daily departures to 150 cities in Latin America,
Canada, Asia, the U.S. and Europe.

In addition to the new Rome flight, this summer Delta will add
transatlantic service from Atlanta to Athens, Barcelona and Istanbul.

Delta offers the most flights, serves the most destinations, and carries
the most passengers to Europe than any U.S. carrier. With its summer 1998
schedule, Delta served more cities in Europe nonstop than all other U.S.
carriers combined. In fact, Delta served more nonstop cities in Europe from
the U.S. than all other U.S. carriers combined plus Air France, Alitalia,
British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Olympic, Austrian,
Sabena, Turkish Airlines and TAP combined.

Delta, named Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine, is the
world’s most flown carrier. More than 105 million passengers traveled on
Delta in 1998. Delta, Delta Express, the Delta Shuttle, the Delta Connection
carriers and Delta's Worldwide Partners operate 5,211 flights each day to 353
cities in 56 countries.