Shanghai seen emerging as Delta hub

Delta Air Lines Inc Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson said he envisions creating an international hub in Shanghai to build on a growing relationship with China Eastern Airlines Corp.

"When you think about what our strategy is long-term, we need to have a hub in Shanghai like the one we have in Amsterdam," Anderson told employees in a recorded message.

Anderson's comments underscored the importance he attaches to expanding in China, where the Atlanta-based airline has added service to Shanghai and has a partnership with China Eastern in the SkyTeam alliance. A hub modeled on operations at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport would let Delta collect domestic passengers from around China and steer them to US destinations.