Silver lion that was part of the ceremonies leading up to Delta's inaugural flight to Shanghai.

Ribbon cutting ceremony prior to the inaugural Delta flight to Shanghai.

A scintillating silver lion flailed its limbs to the deep thumping of a Chinese drum and dancers performed a Sichuanese opera number, providing fanfare to help Delta Air Lines Inc. launch the first nonstop flight from Atlanta to Shanghai, China, on March 30.

The cultural displays at gate E12 of the Atlanta airport lent a colorful backdrop for a ceremony that focused on business as the driver for the flight’s inauguration and the engine that will sustain demand for it in the future.

“This flight is going to link the world’s busiest airport with the world’s most populous country,” Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue told an audience that grew larger as passersby stopped to investigate an army of video cameras with their views fixed on a podium adorned with red and yellow balloons.

Calling Delta’s connectivity with the U.S. and the world a “magnet” drawing more companies to Georgia, Mr. Perdue stressed that Delta’s pursuit of routes in underserved and emerging international markets dovetails nicely with the Global Georgia campaign the state is using to promote itself as a destination for foreign investment.

In that strategy, China is an essential target. An unprecedented economic boom there over the past 30 years has precipitated a flood of goods into Georgia’s ports in Savannah and Brunswick as well as through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. China is now the second-largest purchaser of Georgia exports. Just five years ago, China ranked eighth on that list.

The rapidly growing Georgia-China connection went from cargo to capital on the Georgia side last year, as three major Chinese companies announced plans to build manufacturing centers in Georgia. With the new flight in place, Mr. Perdue hopes that story will become more common.

“We’re going to get some jobs and bring them back to Georgia,” he said.

Participating in the inaugural flight and the festivities in Shanghai only comprises the first leg of the governor’s trip. During his official mission in Beijing, he is to open a Georgia trade office.

While the flight could prove to be a boon for Georgia, it’s also a keen business decision that fits perfectly into Delta’s broader global strategy, said Lee Macenczak, Delta’s executive vice president of sales and marketing.

With a weak dollar, rising fuel costs and slimmer operating margins becoming a reality in the U.S., tapping profitable international routes like Shanghai is critical, he told GlobalAtlanta. in its quest to become a global player, Delta has piled up service to more destinations than any other airline, he said.

At the ceremony, no one mentioned Delta’s merger talks with Northwest Airlines, a deal that would create one of the largest airlines in the world and constitute a formidable presence in China. For at least one day, the fanfare swirled only around Delta, which Mr. Perdue called “our hometown airline.”

But Delta was quick to share the spotlight with the wide range of organizations and individuals that supported the bid for the route, Delta’s third overall attempt at a connection to China and the second from its hub in Atlanta.

“This is something Delta’s wanted to serve for a very, very long time,” said Mr. Macenczak, citing Atlanta and Georgia government officials, Chinese organizations and Delta’s Asia Pacific Employee Network as key backers throughout a process that took almost 10 years.

The Chinese government played one of the most important roles in establishing the flight, paving the way by negotiating the route’s availability with the U.S. Department of Transportation, which awarded Delta the route last September.

Qiao Hong, China’s consul general in Houston, represented her government on the flight. She reiterated China’s support for Delta’s “maiden voyage to Shanghai” and its prospects for bilateral interaction. The flight also provides an important gateway for Chinese companies looking to South America, she said.

“By joining our hands, I’m sure that business will be prosperous and cooperation will be fruitful,” she said.

Other high-profile travelers on the flight included Karen Handel, Georgia secretary of state , Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development; Ben DeCosta, general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson and Hans Gant, senior vice president for economic development at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

Other members of the chamber led a delegation beginning March 21 that is currently visiting eight Chinese cities. Some joined the governor’s delegation in Shanghai.