Airlines
Delta Fights Off Challengers for Haneda Rights
Hawaiian calls DOT decision an example of "institutional bias" in favor of U.S. business travelers
Delta flies a single Boeing 767-300 between Seattle and Tokyo Haneda every day. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by Aero Icarus)
Delta flies a single Boeing 767-300 between Seattle and Tokyo Haneda every day. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by Aero Icarus)

A tentative decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation to allow Delta Air Lines to retain its rights to fly between Seattle and Tokyo Haneda Airport has drawn fire from Hawaiian Airlines, which sought to replace the Delta service with regular flights between Kona, Hawaii, and the congested Japanese gateway. The DOT also chose American Airlines to assume the route if Delta does not uphold its commitment to provide daily uninterrupted service, in a ruling that Hawaiian said unfairly dismissed the value of its proposed service.