Delta Introduces Boeing 717 on West Coast Shuttle

US major Delta Air Lines will introduce its Boeing 717 aircraft on eight of the 15 daily flights it operates between Los Angeles International and San Francisco International airports in June, offering 40 per cent more seats on its hourly non-stop Delta Shuttle.

Delta launched its hourly nonstop Delta Shuttle product from Los Angeles to San Francisco in September 2013, adding a California perspective to its long relied-upon New York-based Shuttle. The remaining seven daily West Coast Shuttle flights will continue to be operated by Delta Connection partner Compass Airlines using 76-seat Embraer E175 aircraft.

"Our Delta Shuttle on the West Coast is designed to connect Silicon Beach to Silicon Valley and make doing business between Los Angeles and San Francisco easier, more enjoyable and more productive," said Ranjan Goswami, vice president of sales – west, Delta Air Lines.

"As we continue to grow in Los Angeles, upgrading to fuel-efficient 717s on a majority of our daily Shuttle flights is a logical next step in strengthening our position in this important market," he added.

The 717 upgrade on the West Coast Shuttle is the latest in a series of investments in Los Angeles by the airline. Last month, Delta announced plans to begin daily non-stop service to Shanghai in July 2015, while pending foreign government approval it will add a seasonal service from Los Angeles to Managua, Nicaragua this summer.

These new routes build on Delta's expansion in both international and domestic service from Los Angeles in recent months, including London-Heathrow in October; Dallas and Austin, Texas in November; and Vancouver, Canada in December. With the exception of the UK link these are all flown by Delta Connection carrier Compass Airlines. Delta currently operates 154 peak-day departures to 48 destinations from Los Angeles.

Richard Maslen

Richard Maslen has travelled across the globe to report on developments in the aviation sector as airlines and airports have continued to evolve and…