ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines Inc., which has been moving to transform its business to reduce costs and attract more fliers, is expanding the service of its low-fare carrier Song and installing new leadership at the subsidiary.
The Atlanta-based company, struggling with higher fuel costs and low fares, said Wednesday that by Sept. 2 Song will offer 176 daily flights, 36 more than its current schedule. It also is beefing up its coast-to-coast flights and will begin offering round-trip service from New York to Los Angeles.
Joanne Smith, Song's vice president of marketing, was named Wednesday as the new president of Song, replacing John Selvaggio, who announced in October that he was leaving.
Under the expansion, Song will offer seven daily nonstop round-trip flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to Los Angeles International Airport by June 18. The first flight takes off May 1, when Song plans to add 12 new aircraft to its current fleet of 36.
The expansion also calls for flights from New York to San Francisco, Seattle, San Juan and Aruba. Song currently flies nonstop to Los Angeles from Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa in Florida.
Shares of Delta Air Lines, which operates a hub at Salt Lake City International Airport, rose 16 cents, or 3.4 percent, to close at $4.86 in Wednesday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.