Despite a special trip to Atlanta on Monday by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., Williams and other key players in Utah's business and tourism industries to encourage Delta Air Lines CEO Gerald Grinstein to add the new flight, Williams said their request for service to start next summer was a "long shot."

"That question is ultimately in Delta's hands," Williams said. "We would welcome them starting service at any time, but . . . for all kinds of marketing and logistics reasons, you generally want to start a new service from the United States to Europe in the springtime," and Delta prefers to announce new international flights six to eight months in advance.

In August, Delta executive Glen Hauenstein told The Salt Lake Tribune that a cost-assistance agreement with Utah officials would have to be in place by the end of September for the airline to launch a nonstop flight to Paris or London in summer 2007.

"It is highly unlikely that a flight between Salt Lake and Europe will be added for 2007," said Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin Wednesday. "However, the discussions between Delta and community leaders [in Utah] continue, and we are working toward a flight for 2008."

The Utah Board of Tourism Development, Salt Lake City Airport Authority and Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau have offered $650,000 to publicize the new flight in the Intermountain West and Europe, if it is created.

Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, also part of the Monday visit to Delta headquarters, said Delta still needs more assurances that a nonstop flight from Salt Lake City to Europe would be successful.

Delta is "emerging from bankruptcy, so their tolerance for risk is not very high. They want to feel comfortable that going down this path makes financial sense for them," Corroon said. "It's not just the money [that Utah can offer Delta], it's the knowledge that if this flight is created, there will be passengers."

Corroon said the trip was taken to show Delta support for the service, and he agreed with Williams that it is unlikely Delta will launch the flight next year.

"It's not an impossibility, but it's improbable at this point that we will get service to Paris in 2007," Corroon said. "2008 is certainly something we would be shooting for."

Williams, who is leading the effort to secure the international flight, said a formal offer to Delta is still in the works. The airport, local government officials and business leaders will have to develop a more detailed advertising strategy and create a "travel bank" of businesses and consumers in the West who commit to using the flight.

"There's a very good possibility that we can put that package together and that Delta will take advantage of this opportunity in 2008."

rwinters@sltrib.com