SLC International Airport adds first nonstop flight from SLC to Asia since 2009
Sep 27, 2024, 10:26 AM | Updated: 4:29 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake City International Airport is getting its first nonstop flight to Asia, according to Delta Airlines and the airport’s communications director.
The first flight to be offered will be a nonstop flight to Seoul-Incheon International Airport in South Korea. The route will provide “seamless connections to key destinations across Asia,” Delta said, for travelers through the Mountain West.
The flight will be a daily, year-round service carried out through the Airbus A350-900, a version of the aircraft the company deemed the “long-range leader.”
The new addition won’t be the first time the airline has attempted the flight path from SLC to Asia, as a different flight was implemented in 2009 from SLC to Tokyo. But the airline cut back flights due to a lack of interest during the swine flu outbreak, and the Tokyo flight was one of them.
Delta teased nonstop flights to Asia again 10 years later, but Delta pushed back due to its struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the direct flights are ready to take-off.
Communications Director Nancy Volmer at the airport said the flight was made possible by the recent construction at the airport, which allowed more international gates to be added and therefore, more international flights.
“We are thrilled to add Incheon to SLC’s international route map,” said Executive Director Bill Wyatt. “This nonstop service to South Korea will provide unmatched connectivity to 80 plus destinations in Asia thanks to Delta’s joint venture partnership with Korean Air.”
Further, Utah leaders expressed their excitement about the new flight, with Gov. Spencer Cox calling it an expansion of “our community’s global reach.”
“I was delighted to meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol and discuss how this new route will deepen connections between Utah and Korea,” he said.
“Strong partnerships can often have the biggest impacts on visitors and our residents,” said SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall. “…Salt Lake City and the Mountain West are among the best places to visit and an even better place to call home.”
