"Frequent fliers would rather get on a mainline aircraft than a 50-seat plane, " said Delta's Mr. Cortelyou.

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Throughout the morning on Thursday men carried bags and boxes of gold and satchels of greenbacks from the federal vaults at the Subtreasury to the various banks approved by Cortelyou.

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"Our new flight from Newark to Paris is a continuation of Delta's effort to be the pre-eminent carrier for the New York area, " Delta senior vice president Bob Cortelyou said in a statement.

WSJ: Delta launching flights between Newark, Paris