Delta Air Lines' airplane connecting Incheon and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Jeff Moomaw, Delta’s vice president for Asia Pacific, announced at a press conference in Seoul on Thursday: “Salt Lake City is the 14th unique market being served between the U.S. and Seoul with Delta and Korean Air; This also represents the only direct service to Asia from Salt Lake City.” He added: “Salt Lake City is one of eight hubs that Delta Air Lines operates in the United States, with 265 daily flights connecting to 96 destinations across the country.” The route marks Delta’s first new direct service from South Korea in six years.
Operated by an Airbus A350-900 with premium and economy seating options, the flight runs daily during the summer and three times weekly in winter. Delta will enhance the in-flight experience by offering 13 K-drama titles. Salt Lake City International Airport has improved its facilities for Korean travelers, employing over 10 Korean-speaking staff and enabling domestic connections within 55 minutes.
To ensure smooth operations, Delta and Korean Air maintain a dedicated team at Incheon Airport. Moomaw explained: “At Incheon Airport, we have a special room behind the scenes; It is staffed with both Delta and Korean Air staff monitoring every joint customer coming through Incheon.” He noted: “That allows them to work together if anything is going wrong at all, if any flight is slightly delayed, to be able to proactively reaccommodate those customers right then and there without the customer seeing a thing.”
Regarding the recent acquisition by Hoban Group, which now holds an 18.46% stake in Hanjin KAL, Korean Air’s holding company, Moomaw described it as a standard business move. Hanjin KAL Chairman Walter Cho and his allies hold 20.75%, while Delta holds 14.9%, making it the third-largest shareholder. Moomaw expressed confidence, stating: “We are very confident in Walter Cho and the Korean Air management team. The same is true of Hanjin KAL.”
The new route enhances connectivity, supports tourism, and strengthens economic ties between South Korea and the U.S., with Salt Lake City serving as a key hub for Delta’s network.
