Delta Air Lines asks Transportation Dept. for OK to increase flights between US and Brazil

Delta asks DOT for OK to add more Brazil flights

NEW YORK — Delta Air Lines Inc. said Monday it asked the Transportation Department for approval to increase its flights between the U.S. and Brazil.

The world’s largest airline said if it receives the OK, it will fly more between Detroit and San Paulo. Delta is currently slated to start twice-weekly service between the two cities on Oct. 21; it wants to increase service to five days a week.

If approved, Delta will shift three flight approvals it had for Atlanta to Rio de Janeiro to add the flights between Detroit and Sao Paulo.

Detroit-Sao Paulo is an important business route from the industrial Midwest to Brazil’s business center. Delta said its proposed five weekly flights comes close to the service it eventually wants to provide.

Also, adding more flights makes Delta more competitive.

American Airlines has approval to operate 11 flights per week between the U.S. and Brazil starting on Nov. 18. American is expected to fly between New York and Rio de Janeiro and between Miami and Brasilia, Brazil.

Continental Airlines Inc. on July 1 launched an agreement with Brazil’s TAM Airlines that will allow the airlines to sell tickets on each other’s flights. The deal, called a code share, allows an airline to expand its destinations without adding service.