DOT to allow Delta’s continuation of Seattle-Tokyo flight

The Transportation Department will add conditions to ensure the airline maintains its daily service in the Seattle market year-round.    The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed to allow Delta Air Lines to continue providing flights between Seattle and Tokyo’s downtown Haneda Airport, but will add conditions to ensure the airline maintains its daily service in the Seattle market year-round.
   DOT initiated a proceeding in late 2014, after it learned Delta planned extensive winter season cutbacks for its Seattle-Haneda service. Instead of the daily service it had proposed to win the route in 2013 from DOT, Delta planned to operate the service for about one week every 90 days between October 2014 and late March 2015. American Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, citing Delta’s failure to serve the route as it had proposed, each proposed to replace Delta and committed to operating daily flights from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Los Angeles and Kona, Hawaii, respectively. 
   DOT said it had determined it was in the public’s best interest to allow Delta to retain the Seattle-Tokyo flight, but warned any failure to maintain the service as promised would lead to the airline having the service authority stripped away.
   The department has selected American’s proposal to provide Los Angeles-Haneda service as a backup, if Delta should “fail to meet its requirements in serving the Seattle market.”
   Any objections to DOT’s tentative decision are due by April 6. If objections are filed, DOT will answer them by April 13. Documents in the case may be viewed here.