Delta launches Atlanta to Shanghai flights

ATLANTA, March 31 (UPI) -- Delta Air Lines said its Atlanta to Shanghai express took its inaugural flight Monday, a 15.4 hour trip that included a blues band and a 10-course meal.

The maiden voyage of Delta's non-stop Flight 19, connecting the deep south with the Far East included Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and his wife, Mary, who traveled as part of a 40-member trade delegation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

"This flight fills a critical void for the 65 million people in the Southeast," said U.S. Consul General for Shanghai Kenneth Garrett.

The 777-200ER was piloted by 32-year Delta pilot Marc Holmquist and staffed by a crew of Delta veterans, the report said.

Passengers were treated to a meal of "braised shark's fin soup with cucumber and fish maw," the airline said.

A blues band -- which included a rendition of "Georgia On My Mind" in its repertoire -- played during the flight, which touched down in Shanghai at 2:09 p.m. Atlanta-time Monday.

It took 34,000 gallons of fuel to make the flight, the report said.

Two hours later, cleaned and refueled, the plane headed back to Atlanta, the report said.