By James Pilcher
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Delta Air Lines celebrated the 25th anniversary of its first transatlantic flight last week, and is now running a fare sale to Europe.

The airline, which operates its second-largest hub locally, launched service to Europe with a flight to London from Atlanta on April 30, 1978.

Previously, airlines were limited to existing routes under regulation of the Civil Aeronautics Board.

But once that agency was disbanded by Congress and regulation ended, all airlines were allowed to launch international routes, once the mainstay of now defunct airlines TWA and Pan Am.

Delta now operates a daily flight from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to London's Gatwick airport.

That route is now on sale for $694 for an economy class round-trip ticket, reduced from the normal fare of $1,026.

Travel must be undertaken between June 19 and Sept. 3, tickets must be purchased 21 days in advance, and a Saturday night stay is required.

The sale ends May 7.

The sale also coincides with Delta's June restoration of flights from New York's JFK airport to Europe, which had been cut because of a drop in demand caused by the war with Iraq.