Delta opts to flesh out its 2016 European network with new flights from Minneapolis, Detroit and RDU

Delta Air Lines is branching out in its 2016 trans-Atlantic schedule, bolstering service from its lower-profile hubs in Minneapolis and Detroit. It is also introducing service from Raleigh-Durham to Paris, having initially mooted the route eight years ago.

The airline is playing to its positions of strength with the addition of trans-Atlantic services from its hubs in the interior of the US, which should allow Delta to both tap a large pool of local passengers in the metro region of Minneapolis and Detroit and also garner connecting traffic from US midwest spoke routes by touting one stop connections to popular European destinations and hubs of partner airlines.

Delta has been growing in Raleigh at a solid clip during the last couple of years, increasing the number of point to point markets it operates from the airport. The introduction of service to Paris is the next phase of that build up, and a key win for Raleigh-Durham International Airport, which has been working to enlarge its roster of long-haul services.