Delta Air Lines has announced its first new international route since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year, a new nonstop to Iceland from Boston's Logan Airport.
The announcement comes three weeks after Delta Air Lines resumed its daily service from New York-JFK to Iceland. A third daily flight from Minneapolis to Iceland begins next week.
Pre-pandemic, the United States was the largest source market for tourism into Iceland with more than 460,000 visitors in 2019, according to data from the Icelandic Tourist Board.
"As the first European country to reopen to U.S. tourists, we've seen increased demand for travel to Iceland this summer versus 2019," Amy Martin, Delta's Managing Director - International Network Planning, said in a statement. "After a year of limited international travel, Americans are actively seeking new adventures this summer and the addition of our new Boston service will allow more than 350 more customers each day to enjoy the diverse landscapes of this island compared to 2019."
Johannes Thor Skulason, managing director for the Icelandic Travel Industry Association, added: "Opening up for fully-vaccinated visitors from the US has jumpstarted tourism in Iceland. The enthusiasm American travelers have for coming here is a vital economic contributor. Tourism in Iceland has a substantial role in the growth and development of Iceland's international brand and we look forward to getting going again."
In addition to the new route to Iceland, Delta is getting into the content business with a new video show entitled 'Gaining Altitude.' The program will feature Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian interviewing business and thought leaders on current topics.
Bastian will be joined by Tristan Walker, the founder and CEO of Walker & Company Brands, for a discussion about servant leadership, representation and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.
This first episode will stream live on May 26 from 1-2 p.m. EDT.
Viewers can connect and engage directly with Bastian and guests via moderated Q&A.
"The pandemic slowed us all down, giving us some extra space and time for reflection and enabled us all to be quieter to hear and to see the challenge our Black community is facing," Bastian said in a statement. "At Delta, our 75,000 employees are a family. How can I talk about family if there's a part of my family that needs help to which I've not been attuned? It raised a commitment level and awareness within me that has been very personal."
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