Delta Air Lines continues to adjust its network to Japan, with plans to exit the Fukuoka market in May. The carrier will end its daily service to Fukuoka from Honolulu with a Boeing 767-300ER May 7. It has served the route since 2011. The move follows an evaluation of "how to best deploy" aircraft, says Delta. While exiting the Fukuoka market, the airline will return to the Detroit-Honolulu route in June. In addition, Delta will resume service between Seattle Tacoma and Osaka in April after a 6-year hiatus. Delta's network changes come after years of reductions to Japan. In 2018 it ended service to Guam, Palau and Saipan from its former Tokyo Narita hub. The carrier's capacity to Japan is scheduled to increase 1.2% this year after an 11.1% year-on-year reduction in 2018. <br/>
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Delta Air Lines has postponed entry into service of its new Airbus A220-100s because FAA approvals were held up by the 35-day shutdown of US govt agencies. Delta had planned to begin A220 service Jan 31 from its hub at New York LaGuardia to Boston Logan International and Dallas-Fort Worth International. That date has been extended to Feb 7 as a result of the govt shutdown. “No customer impact is expected as a result of this equipment change, and no flights will be canceled because of A220 certification. The flights will be operated by other aircraft,” the carrier said. Delta plans to acquire 40 of the 116-seat A220-100s and has taken delivery of 4 to date. It plans to buy 50 130-seat A220-300s, with first delivery from the new Airbus manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama, in 2020. <br/>
China Eastern Airlines president Ma Xulun will leave that post to become chairman and president of China Southern Airlines, the Chinese govt has announced. Ma will also serve as deputy secretary of the airline’s Communist Party committee, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission said. The commission holds the govt’s majority stakes in the airlines. China Eastern’s new president and deputy secretary will be Wang Zhiqing, a deputy chief of the CAAC, an industry source said. He will report to China Eastern chairman and party committee secretary Liu Shaoyong. Ma previously served in management positions at Air China and CAAC. He has also been deputy secretary of the party committee at China Eastern. <br/>