As Delta Air Lines prepares to exit bankruptcy they are working hard to change the focus of the airline to more of an international carrier. They are looking to increase international revenue to 35 percent from the present 20 percent, and they are hoping that successful growth in the Caribbean will help them achieve these goals.

In the last three months, Delta has begun more nonstop services, including flights to San Pedro Sula and Roatan, Honduras from Atlanta. Among other new routes are Atlanta to Santo Domingo and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and new service to Antigua and Barbados. New flights to the Puerto Rican cities of Aguadilla and Ponce, and Kingston, Jamaica are also planned for June, said James Sarvis, director of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Delta’s goal is to increase international revenue from 20 percent of revenue to 35 percent by September, and to rank second in Latin America — excluding Mexico — and the Caribbean by the end of this year, Whitehurst said.
At the same time, Delta has cut domestic capacity by 15 percent and converted wide-body aircraft for international use, mostly to Europe, where it also aggressively expanding its service. It expects to be the world’s largest carrier between the United States and Europe this summer.
The moves come as Delta cuts 7,000 to 9,000 jobs and trims costs in an effort to emerge from bankruptcy next year as a much leaner, lower-cost carrier.
At the same time, it is trying to change from a ”frankly stodgy” culture to ”innovative and stylish,” Whitehurst said.
As it pushes into Latin America, the airline is adding Spanish language check-in kiosks, making Spanish announcements on flights and ensuring that every flight to Latin America has Spanish speakers aboard, Whitehurst said.

MiamiHerald.com .