Delta Air Lines says it applauds the agreement reached between the U.S. and Chinese governments to further expand opportunities for Delta and other airlines to provide more services between the United States and China.

"Secretary Peters and the Bush Administration are to be commended for reaching a landmark deal that will allow U.S. airlines to add 13 additional nonstop daily flights to China over the next five years," said Jim Whitehurst, Delta's chief operating officer. "We are already actively pursuing approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation to offer customers the first and only nonstop flights between the world's largest passenger gateway in Atlanta and Shanghai. We look forward to the official launch of the 2007 route case and are fully prepared to demonstrate why Atlanta should become the next gateway to China.

Delta says its pending application with the DOT for nonstop service between Atlanta and China would fill a critical void in air travel today by linking the 55 million people of the Southeastern United States directly to one of the world's fastest growing economies.