Delta Air Lines and Austrian Airlines today announced an expansion of their present codesharing agreement.

Delta, which is the leading carrier across the North Atlantic with more transatlantic routes than any other U.S. carrier, will place its code on Austrian's daily, nonstop Airbus 330/340 flights between Atlanta and Vienna, Austria, effective October 1, 1999. The Austrian flight will replace Delta's present daily, nonstop service, which will stop on October 1, 1999.

This will be the first time Austrian Airlines will fly regularly scheduled service into Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport.

Delta also placed its code on Austrian's nonstop Airbus 310 aircraft from Vienna to Dubai, U. A. E. on June 25, 1999. Delta will place its code on Austrian's nonstop Fokker 70 aircraft from Vienna to Tiblisi, Georgia, on August 23, 1999.

Delta said it has made a strategic business decision to discontinue its Atlanta to Vienna service and believes it can better serve the city in alliance with Austrian Airlines.

Delta said it does not suspend service without giving great consideration to the impact on the communities involved, but the airline must focus its resources on those markets where it can be most competitive and realize the greatest revenue generation opportunities.

Austrian Airlines (as a Qualiflyer-Group-member already a long time Delta partner) is one of the real (remaining) European partner-options for Delta if Swissair is really heading towards Oneworld.

Given the recent Delta/Air France/swissair love traingle, that really is very interesting. Perhaps the break up of Qualiflyer in to the more formal alliances is starting to crystalize. Thank you for the post burkey.

Very interesting and good for DL. Thanks!