The alliance, which includes Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s office, Salt Lake City International Airport and the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, is asking businesses and associations to write letters that will be packaged and forwarded to Delta.
The chamber has received dozens of letters of support from members ahead of its deadline, which is loosely set for next Monday, said Craig Peterson, the chamber's chief operating officer.
"I have 250 letters so far, from small businesses to our largest corporations. Most indicate they would utilize the nonstop service," Peterson said.
In August, Glen Hauenstein, Delta's executive vice president of network and revenue management, told The Tribune that his airline would launch service to Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris or London's Heathrow Airport as soon as next summer, if it could get financial help from local governments and businesses.
Hauenstein said Delta needs "a mid-seven-figure number over several years" to justify the risk of starting the route. The airline must reach a deal with local officials by the end of September in order to have enough time to work through the intricacies of setting up trans-Atlantic service from Utah next summer. If a deal isn't struck by then, the service could not begin until 2008, he said.
Chris Roybal, Huntsman's senior economic adviser, said the alliance is moving at a gallop to assemble the package. It will be forwarded to Delta by the airport's executive director, Roy Williams, who met in early August with Delta executives.
"We don't have any hard deadlines, to date. But time is of the essence. We know that the market moves quickly, so we are looking to gather this information as quickly as we can," Roybal said.
Many of the letters that Peterson will forward to Roybal contain pledges to purchase tickets. Many businesses said a nonstop flight would make it easier to stay in touch with satellite offices or attend conferences in Europe.
Others said it would be simpler to locate or expand their businesses. One company said 80 percent of its clients are in European countries; another said 30 percent of its customers are there.
"Travel to Europe is a long, rigorous experience at best. Having a shorter, more simplified itinerary would certainly be an advantage," one writer said.
Roybal said the state is also looking at whether some of its $10 million tourism budget can be spent on marketing that promotes the route.
Since filing for bankruptcy a year ago, Delta has been putting more emphasis on international flying, which is more profitable. Delta now has routes to 29 trans-Atlantic destinations, all originating from its hubs in Atlanta, New York and Cincinnati. A Salt Lake-to-Europe route would be a first for Utah.
pbeebe@sltrib.com
