Delta is Suspending New York to Istanbul Service
Increased security concerns seem to be having an impact on airports and airlines across the globe. Just last week, the EU announced that it will now be collecting air traveler information for passengers flying into and out of Europe in an effort to increase security. And now, Delta is pulling service from a major European destination, suspending its New York (JFK) to Istanbul (IST) service.
Delta announced that effective May 2016, it will no longer be flying between JFK and Istanbul. The carrier cites safety concerns in Turkey, including a travel warning issued by the State Department, and weaker demand for air travel to IST for its decision to end the service.
A search on Delta's website revealed that the change is already in effect, as nonstop flights between JFK and IST no longer appear — only those with stops in Paris (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS) or Rome (FCO) that are operated by Air France, KLM or Alitalia, respectively. Just last year, Delta announced that it was expanding its service to Istanbul with daily summer service between the two cities.
Currently, no other US-based airline offers nonstop service between the US and Istanbul. If you're still interested in visiting the city, you can fly nonstop on Turkish Airlines (a Star Alliance member) from New York (JFK), Atlanta (ATL; beginning May 16), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (ORD), Boston (BOS), Washington D.C. (IAD), Miami (MIA) and San Francisco (SFO).