Delta launches non-stop flight from MSP to Seoul

(FOX 9) - Delta hosted a big celebration at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Monday as the airline launched another non-stop international flight, this time to Seoul, South Korea.

For Minnesota families and businesses with strong ties to Asia, it’s perfect timing.

For Korean-born Amy Davis, this is like a dream with wings.

“I have a college daughter studying abroad there, and I’ll be seeing my birth family; I’m a Korean adoptee,” said Davis, who was boarding the flight.  

For Delta Airlines, this is about opportunity. It’s cutting the ribbon on a market that includes 9,000 Minnesotans a year who fly from MSP to South Korea. Its new route will fly non-stop to Seoul every day.

To fly the trip, Delta just remodeled one of its 777’s from nose to tail with new amenities, such as its Delta One business suites, which fully recline into beds for the 13-hour flight to Incheon airport.

“This flight is one of several out of the United States that will feed into Incheon and connect our passengers onto our joint venture partner, Korean Air, and Korean Air has over 80 destinations out of Incheon,” said Delta Vice President Bill Lentsch.

South Korean officials see the partnership as a business model for both countries.

“I wish this joint venture to be successful so that many other service sectors of our countries can follow the same route in our future,” said South Korean Consul General Jong-Kook Lee.

“This is a dream come true,” Davis said. “It makes travel so much easier. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”  

This is the first of what could be several new international flights for Delta. In June, it begins non-stop service to Mexico City, and it’s waiting on government approval for a non-stop flight to Shanghai, China next year.