Delta Air Lines will shrink its European footprint after coronavirus
Delta Air Lines is well on its way to emerging from the coronavirus pandemic as a smaller airline. It has retired three aircraft types from its fleet, including its Boeing 777s, and asked staff to take voluntary leave options to avoid furloughs this fall.
Now, the Atlanta-based SkyTeam Alliance carrier is warning staff that its international footprint will be dramatically smaller when it comes out of the crisis. This includes permanently ending service to some cities in Europe — a continent where it is the largest U.S. carrier — TPG has learned.
"Our international network has been set back to where we were over 30 years ago, similar to international flying in the late 1980s/early 1990s when Delta and Northwest each averaged only 30 international destinations," Delta senior vice president of in-flight service Allison Ausband said in an internal message to flight attendants on Thursday viewed by TPG.
For perspective, Delta flew to 82 international destinations outside of North America last June, according to Cirium schedules.
Get Coronavirus travel updates. Stay on top of industry impacts, flight cancellations, and more.
Delta is already flying a much-reduced international schedule. As of May 27, it only plans to serve nine destinations in Africa, Asia and Europe in June. The airline will offer no flights to Australia or South America.
The draw-down of long-haul flights by U.S. carriers comes as international air traffic has been hit with country-by-country restrictions on travelers. These include outright restrictions on arrivals to mandatory quarantines or simply COVID-19 testing upon landing.
Those depressed international schedules may take time to rebuild. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) does not expect international passenger numbers to return to 2019 levels until 2023 or 2024. That's as much as two years after domestic numbers return to pre-coronavirus levels.
Related: A country-by-country guide to coronavirus recovery
Last summer, Delta served 27 cities in Europe — ranging from major hubs like Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to smaller destinations like Berlin (TXL) and Venice (VCE), Cirium schedules show. Flights to partner hubs in Amsterdam (AMS), London Heathrow (LHR) and Paris, as well as major business centers like Frankfurt (FRA) are already coming back. But it is Delta's service to smaller points in Europe that may not return post-crisis.
Ausband did not indicate which cities Delta may never return to in Europe.
Travelers likely will still be able to access any destination that Delta stops serving. The airline's joint venture partners Air France and KLM offer extensive service across the European continent via their respective Paris and Amsterdam hubs.
Delta acquired much of its European operation from Pan Am in 1991. That more than doubled its size in Europe with Pan Am's assets that included everything but its London Heathrow slots. United Airlines acquired the Heathrow operation.
Related: American, Delta and United plan to fly these long-haul international routes in June
In addition to a smaller European footprint, Delta is evaluating closing or downgrading some of its flight attendant crew bases, Ausband said. Possible closures include ones at Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Cincinnati (CVG), Honolulu (HNL), Portland, Oregon (PDX), San Francisco (SFO) and Tampa (TPA).
Airline crew bases do not always correlate to hubs or even focus cities. For example, only Cincinnati — which used to be a hub — is more than a typical destination on Delta's map of the six stations eligible for closure.
Delta has already said that it will close its pilot base in Cincinnati by the end of the year.
Related: Delta sending Airbus A350s to Los Angeles, will close Cincinnati pilot base
Still, the airline plans to remain a strong international player post crisis. Delta executives have assured staff that it will continue flying all 777 routes with new Airbus A350-900s, including service to Johannesburg (JNB) with a new stop in Cape Town (CPT) on the return to Atlanta (ATL).
In addition, Delta CEO Ed Bastian has said the airline "stands by" its partner LATAM Airlines as that carrier moves through bankruptcy restructuring. Delta owns a nearly 20% stake in the Chilean airline.
"It will likely be two to three years before we see demand recovery on a large scale," Bastian told staff in a memo on May 27. By recovery, he was referring to a return to 2019 passenger numbers.
Related: Delta Air Lines stands by new partner LATAM, despite bankruptcy
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees