OAG Travel News

No need for a double-take -- that was a Delta Boeing 747 taking off from Atlanta on Thursday. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that Honolulu-bound flight became "the first Delta-branded 747 to fly out of Atlanta since 1977.”

And it appears there will be even more Delta 747s flying in and out of Atlanta in the coming weeks. The Atlanta Business Chronicle writes Delta has also said starting May 4 it will use Boeing 747-400 aircraft for some flights between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Tokyo’s Narita Airport."

Of course, Delta's 747-400s became part of its fleet thanks to its recent acquisition of Northwest. It obtained 16 in the merger, according to the Business Chronicle. The Journal-Constitution says Delta's new 747s are a step up from the "smaller and less-sophisticated" models it used "back in the 1970s." And, as for the 747 flying the Hawaii route, the Business Chronicle says it "replaced a route previously flown with a Boeing 767-400ER, which (has) 126 fewer seats, Delta said."NWA was a launch customer in the 1980s for Boeing's 747-400, which is now the largest aircraft in Delta’s flight.

Source: www.usatoday.com