Too bad there isn’t an airline out there they could purchase with a fully developed pacific route structure with 15-16 major destinations, for both pax and cargo, along with 80 years of operating history, with both 5th freedom and domestic rights in a major pacific nation, plus all the slots to use them effectively.

As they say in Minnesota, that’d be a heckuva deal.

Theres no money in cargo…..or Asia, evidentially.

Nawww. That would only work if that airline had an order for a new aircraft type that would operate those routes more efficiently.

Relax if there was a better way of doing things, we would already have thought of it 😎

To be fair, the 787 program was an unmitigated disaster for the first few years. Not getting them at the time ended up being a very wise decision.

Doesn't the company keep touting our excellent domestic network that feeds our hubs to then fly the passengers to international hubs? Why can't we use our profitable domestic network to feed new international flights? Someone asked at a pilot meeting why doesn't Delta serve India (the largest population in the WORLD) as our competitors do. The answer was, "Ed has said he wants us to serve India. We don't have the airplane to do that, we're looking at planes, the A350-1000 would be nice but we don't have them." WTF... did someone not notice that India was a big country?

I really have to wonder why we don't serve India. It's the largest population on the planet, and the United States has the highest Indian population of any country other than India. Seems like something is missing there.

I would argue that top level management is using those incomes to avoid having to compete in the airline business. Leaning on those profits as it were, to avoid working hard to improve profits in the "flying airplanes" side of the business.

Look at the no operation areas in jepps and look at where India is.

Also look at their GDP.

There was no money in the cargo operation NWA was running and they were winding it down before the merger. Asia the last 3 years has been a giant suck hole and Delta made the right call not laying crews over in China. Talk to a UPS pilot about those layovers, locked in your room for up to 5 days with a guard. Three inedible meals left at your door each day. Trying to shuttle from ICN was not competitive. Hopefully we will see a expansion with things opening up!

Also look at Emirates/Qatar/Flydubai route structure. Jumping into India would be jumping into a bloody price war. We will eventually serve India again but we need to have a strong network plan along with a strong partner(s)