Lewis From Greece, joined Jul 1999, 3448 posts, RR: 5 Posted (12 years 4 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 1380 times:
Delta used to have flights from ATL using MD-11s and from JFK using 767-300s. Now the only thing I see is 767s (have they stopped direct service from ATL?). Anyway, due to the aircraft's limited takeoff power when full, Delta's flights would always takeoff from 15L at Hellinikon Airport even If 33R was used! This was because Delta had a special procedure due to proximity of mountainous areas in the northern area. Delta was the only airline that did that and now at the new airport, different runways are still being used by Delta. Why doesn't Delta use larger aircraft to ATH if it is such a problem for them??
Alitis From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 254 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (12 years 4 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 1321 times:
I Am going by memory, but I think that it may have to do with the agreement between Greece and the US carriers that allocate the number of seats weekly to Greece from the US at 2700 per carrier.
0A340 From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 261 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (12 years 4 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 1321 times:
The answer to your original question is that they simply don't have any more long-range widebodies available. The MD-11 ATL routing was dropped because this year DL opened Cairo, Dubai, Tel-Aviv, Santiago, Buenos Aires, without receiving any 777! They fell back on deliveries. So Athens was scaled back.
As for the rest of your post, please clarify: is the 33R the approach from Glyfada to Pireus or the other way around? I can hardly believe that a 3500-m runway isn't sufficient!
Srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 3, posted (12 years 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1312 times:
I had heard that ATL-ATH was dropped as a purely seasonal service. Could also be that they may fly from CDG to ATH on an AF codeshare. Passenger loads may have also been a factor in the decision also. I had also heard that the route was not a real moneymaker, so the route was dropped. Around the same time that Delta dropped ATL-ATH, they also dropped ATL-BCN. Another theory is that the aircraft that were used on these routes were put on the new services to South America. The addition of flight to the Middle East had nothing to do with the decision to drop ATH and BCN, as they had not been granted route authority on the new Middle Eastern routes at the time of the suspension of service.
Lewis From Greece, joined Jul 1999, 3448 posts, RR: 5 Reply 4, posted (12 years 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1308 times:
The approach of 33R is the one that passes over Glyfada and goes towards Piraeus. The problem was not the lenght. I asked two months ago and I found out that Delta doesn't want to takeoff heading towards Piraeus because there are high mountains towards that direction (although very far away) and Delta simply takes off flying over Glyfada. That way, the aircraft is immediately over the sea.
0A340 From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 261 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (12 years 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1293 times:
The approach of 33R is the one that passes over Glyfada and goes towards Piraeus. The problem was not the lenght. I asked two months ago and I found out that Delta doesn't want to takeoff heading towards Piraeus because there are high mountains towards that direction (although very far away) and Delta simply takes off flying over Glyfada. That way, the aircraft is immediately over the sea.
I strongly dispute this. I have flown DL 133 enough times to know that this is not true. Always we took off using the 33R. During the summer, south winds start to blow after 2 pm, when takeoffs were using the 15L - the same runway, different direction. Imagine this: all other aircraft approaching to land from one direction facing DL 133 taking off towards them! What an ATC nightmere!
Lewis From Greece, joined Jul 1999, 3448 posts, RR: 5 Reply 6, posted (12 years 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1292 times:
Well, last summer and the whole winter, I would spend whole saturdays taking pics. The Delta flight would ALWAYS takeoff from 15L even if the winds were from the north and all other aircraft would use 33R. I would stand next to the fence of 33R and take pictures of planes holding for takeoff. At the same time, Delta's 767 would taxi to 15L and takeoff in the opposite direction. Were you on a 767 or on an MD-11. BTW, I have 2 pics taken!
TEDSKI From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (12 years 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 1274 times:
With the new Athens airport open at Spata, I am sure that Delta will start using again their high-capacity MD-11s & 777s during the busy summer months to compete against OA with their A340-300s.
0A340 From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 261 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (12 years 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 1261 times:
With just 15 MD 11 and 7 777 delivered so far and none in the near future, I just don't see DL putting their pride into a relatively minor destination.
Here is a sample of routing and equipment for this summer (daily frequencies):
Mah4546 From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 31118 posts, RR: 73 Reply 12, posted (12 years 4 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 1207 times:
0A340, I thought both of Delta's BCN flights are ATL/JFK-MAD-BCN. At least that's what the route map shows. AFAIK, there is no non-stop service to BCN from the US currently. DL has ATL/JFK-MAD-BCN on a 763 and IB has MIA-MAD-BCN on a 742 (rumours have it that it will become non-stop, as well as the addition of possibly MIA-SVQ). Maybe it's seasonal?
0A340 From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 261 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (12 years 3 weeks 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 1170 times:
0A340, I thought both of Delta's BCN flights are ATL/JFK-MAD-BCN. At least that's what the route map shows. AFAIK, there is no non-stop service to BCN from the US currently. DL has ATL/JFK-MAD-BCN on a 763 and IB has MIA-MAD-BCN on a 742 (rumours have it that it will become non-stop, as well as the addition of possibly MIA-SVQ). Maybe it's seasonal?
On ATL-FCO, I stand corrected, I overlooked it.
ATL-BCN starts May 1st, on a 763, non-stop.
JFK-MAD-BCN discontinues it's BCN leg on May 1st and becomes two non-stop flights, one to BCN and another to MAD.
Data from Delta's printed WorldWide timetable, eff. Apr. 1st, 2001.
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