Delta Air Lines has received tentative approval to launch flights from Atlanta to Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
Atlanta-based Delta already flies from Hartsfield-Jackson International to Tokyo's Narita Airport, but Haneda is closer to the city center.
Delta said it would fly the Atlanta-Haneda route with its Boeing 777-200ER jets. It’s yet to be seen what will happen with the Atlanta-Narita route.
The airline also got tentative approval for flights to Tokyo Haneda from Seattle; Detroit; Portland, Ore. and Honolulu.
Pending final approval, Delta said it would launch all of the new Tokyo Haneda routes in summer 2020.
Airlines can respond to the preliminary order from the U.S. Department of Transportation on its tentative approval before a final order is issued, likely in late summer.
Delta already flies to Tokyo Haneda from Los Angeles and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
But the airline said the new routes would increase options for travelers and position Delta to better compete against other airlines with better access to Tokyo Haneda through partnerships with Japanese carriers that Delta lacks.
Delta’s president of international Steve Sear said in a written statement that the preliminary order “demonstrates the DOT’s commitment to encouraging competition and providing more choice for customers traveling between the U.S. and Tokyo’s city center.”
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