Delta boosts international routes

Delta Air Lines plans to resume flights from Atlanta to Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Munich and Dublin this month, amid a gradual recovery tempered by the resurgence of the coronavirus.

The Atlanta-based airline says it now plans to add 700 flights to its worldwide schedule in August, growing to a total of 3,000 daily departures. That includes domestic and international flights.

But the carrier’s recovery has been choppy, and in recent months it has added some flights to the schedule only to remove them later amid varying travel restrictions and travelers opting to stay home.

“Since the pandemic’s start, we’ve taken a conservative approach to rebuilding our network amid fluctuating demand,” Joe Esposito, Delta senior vice president of network planning, said in a written statement.

Previously, Delta planned to add 1,000 flights to its schedule in August, then as the virus spread, the company said it may instead add half that many.

The airline said it “continues fine-tuning its schedule following recent surges in COVID-19 cases that have slowed customer demand.”

Delta’s August flight schedule will be down about 60% compared with the same period last year, with domestic flights down 50% and international flights down 70%.

The European Union continues its travel ban on Americans, but there are exceptions that allow travel between the U.S. and EU.

The restrictions do not apply to EU citizens and their family members, as well as long-term EU residents and their family members. Connecting passengers and travelers on essential trips are also exempt, including health care workers, students and others.

Delta has been operating flights from Atlanta to connecting hubs in Europe and has resumed flights to a number of destinations in the Caribbean.

HYOSUB SHIN / HYOSUB. SHIN@AJC.COM Delta Air Lines says it plans to add 700 flights to its worldwide schedule this month, growing to a total of 3,000 daily departures. That includes domestic and international flights.