Delta to add Boeing 757 service between Raleigh/Durham and Paris

Ben Mutzabaugh | USA TODAY

Delta Air Lines will add a new trans-Atlantic route from Raleigh-Durham and boost its capacity between New York JFK and Israel, the carrier announced Thursday.

From Raleigh-Durham (RDU), Delta will add daily nonstop service to Paris Charles de Gaulle starting May 12. Delta will operate the route with 164-seat Boeing 757-200 aircraft. Delta's RDU-Paris route will be flown under its joint-venture partnership with Air France, KLM and Alitalia.

Paris Charles de Gaulle, of course, is the primary hub for partner Air France. Delta says Raleigh passengers will be able to connect via Paris to more than 75 destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

For RDU, the Paris flights will give the airport a second nonstop route to Europe. Currently, RDU's only current European route is a nonstop American Airlines flight to London. American has flown that route since 1994, according to The News & Observer of Raleigh.

This isn't the first time Delta has signaled its intention to fly between North Carolina and France. Delta announced plans to do so in 2008, but then delayed that amid the then-developing global financial crisis. At the time, Delta said it would delay the service until 2010, but it ultimately never got back on track until Thursday's announcement.

ARCHIVES: Delta delays nonstop Raleigh-Paris flight (December 2008)

The Paris route also continues Delta's slow build-up at RDU, from where it now offers nonstop service to 20 destinations.

"The Research Triangle is an important market for Delta, and our new Paris flight is the latest in a series of Delta investments in the region, both at the airport and in the community," Bob Somers, Delta's Vice President – Global Sales, says in a statement.

"RDU and Delta Air Lines have been business partners for more than 40 years. During this time, Delta has increased its presence at RDU to meet the demand of our region, which it does today with nonstop service to 20 cities," RDU Airport Authority CEO Mike Landguth adds in the statement. "We thank Delta for its continued investment in our community and for connecting our region to the world."

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