Delta changes service to Honolulu

• Correction: Delta Air Lines will continue flying between Honolulu and Atlanta after Aug. 31, with a flight that stops in Los Angeles to take on or discharge passengers. Because of an error by a news source, the story below incorrectly states that Delta will discontinue daily service between Honolulu and Atlanta.

By David Butts
Advertiser Staff Writer

Delta Air Lines will begin the first nonstop service between Honolulu and Salt Lake City on Sept. 1.

That's the good news. The bad news is Delta is canceling its 16-year-old daily service between Honolulu and Atlanta.

The Salt Lake City-Honolulu flight will be less expensive to operate, saving Delta money at a time when most airlines are trying to make up for a drop in lucrative business traffic and a rise in fuel and labor costs.

Atlanta-based Delta has operated a daily flight from its headquarters city to Honolulu since June 1985, but a recent change in the type of plane used on that route made it more expensive, said Delta spokeswoman Peggy Estes.

Salt Lake City is a hub for Delta, the nation's third-largest airline. Delta and its commuter unit, SkyWest, have connecting flights to 63 cities via Salt Lake City.

"This first-ever nonstop service to Honolulu dramatically improves access to Hawai'i for customers traveling from the Mountain States and the Midwest," said Mark Drusch, Delta's senior vice president for network management. "They now are just one stop away from Honolulu."

A flight from Salt Lake City to Hawai'i will cost $955.80 for a 21-day advance ticket. The daily flights will use the 287-passenger Boeing 767-400 aircraft, the company said.

Delta said in June that it expected to lose $140 million to $160 million in the second quarter because of the decline in business traffic and a 12-week strike its Comair commuter line.

The company cut fares by 25 percent last month on many routes, and an additional 20 percent for customers who purchase tickets at its Web site.