Delta unveils 2 new flights, 11 expanded routes in largest-ever transatlantic schedule
As the leaves start turning, Delta Air Lines is already gearing up to whisk you away for your dream summer vacation.
The Atlanta-based carrier announced on Friday its annual summer long-haul network expansion, which includes a handful of new routes, expanded service to existing destinations and more.
These summer-focused international network announcements have become a rite of passage in recent years. American Airlines has already had its time in the spotlight, and now it's Delta's turn to spill the beans about where it's adding flights next summer.
All of Delta's new flights will be loaded into the schedule this weekend and will be bookable by no later than Monday, Sept. 25.
New York to Naples, Italy
One of the new routes that Delta will commence is from New York to Naples. This daily service will start on May 23, 2024, and run through Oct. 25.
This service will complement Delta's existing Italy flights from its John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) hub to Milan, Venice and Rome.
The move comes just a few weeks after American announced Naples, Italy, as one of its all-new destinations for the upcoming summer season. American will fly to Naples from its Philadelphia hub, giving Delta a monopoly on the JFK to Naples market. (Air Italy used to operate flights between these airports but stopped service in October 2017, Cirium schedules show.)
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United Airlines flies from nearby Newark to Naples, so there will be lots of competition as all three airlines can now sell one-stop service to Naples from much of the U.S. this summer. Hopefully, that translates to lower fares for flyers.
New York to Shannon, Ireland
Before the pandemic, Delta used to fly to Shannon from New York. That service has been suspended since September 2019, but it's finally returning five years later on May 23, 2024. (It'll run through Oct. 6)
This route joins Delta's existing services to Dublin from Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis and New York.
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New York to Munich
Delta will also start flying between New York and Munich on a three-times-weekly basis from April 9, 2024, through Oct. 24, 2024. This new flight will give SkyTeam flyers and Delta loyalists a new nonstop connection to a city that's historically been dominated by Lufthansa and its Star Alliance partners.
Lufthansa operates plenty of flights between New York and Munich, and United flies to the German city from several U.S. gateways. American flies there from Charlotte on a daily basis, and Delta's new service will complement existing flights to Munich from Atlanta and Detroit.
Atlanta to Zurich
Speaking of cities dominated by Star Alliance airlines, Zurich is the main hub for Star member Swiss International Air Lines.
That isn't stopping Delta from returning to this market from Atlanta for the first time since September 2019. Delta will commence four-times-weekly flights on May 31, 2024, from Atlanta to Zurich; this joins existing service to the Swiss city from New York. This flight will operate through Sept. 8, 2024.
In total, Delta plans 180 weekly flights to 21 destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East from Atlanta during the summer season.
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Los Angeles to Auckland
Earlier this year, Delta unveiled a splashy new service to Auckland, New Zealand, from its hub in Los Angeles.
This daily service takes off on Oct. 28. While it was originally slated for winter-seasonal service (in the Northern Hemisphere), Delta is seemingly quite happy with the forward-looking booking data.
That's because the airline will extend the route to year-round service, operating daily from November 2023 to March 2024 and three times weekly from April 2024 to October 2024.
Los Angeles to Shanghai
As with all U.S. airlines, Delta significantly scaled back its China network during the pandemic. Slowly but surely, some routes are finally resuming.
This includes Delta's service from Los Angeles to Shanghai, which will resume on a four-times-weekly basis on March 31, 2024.
This follows the airline's announcement that it'll expand China flights for the winter season, which will include expanded service from Detroit and Seattle.
Looking back: Sayonara, Narita: The Rise and Fall of Delta's Tokyo Hub
Dropping Dusseldorf, Germany
It's not all good news for Delta's transatlantic schedule. The airline is pulling out of Dusseldorf, a German city that it has served pretty consistently from Atlanta since April 2006. The airline confirmed the move to TPG with the following statement:
"As we continue to monitor and adjust our schedule based on consumer demand, Delta is suspending its scheduled service between Atlanta and Düsseldorf. We apologize to any inconvenienced customers. Delta continues to serve Dusseldorf on flights operated by our partners Air France and KLM connecting via our European hubs in Paris and Amsterdam and remains committed to the German market with nonstop service to Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart."
Without Delta's Atlanta route, Dusseldorf will remain unserved from any U.S. gateway.
Additional frequencies
Delta says that its transatlantic summer schedule will be its largest one ever. In addition to the aforementioned routes, the airline is boosting connectivity to cities that it already serves, including on routes between:
- Atlanta and Paris
- Atlanta to Venice
- Boston to Athens
- Cincinnati and Paris
- Detroit and Paris
- Detroit to Reykjavik
- New York to Barcelona
Delta didn't share details about these additional flights, but we'll be sure to update the story once the schedule changes are live in the airline's timetables.
Airlines may be suffering from a slower-than-expected return to business travel right now, but that's not stopping them from planning for what's expected to be another blockbuster summer of long-haul travel.
"There's never been a better time to explore Europe on Delta, and customers looking ahead to summer adventures abroad will find plenty of inspiring options – coupled with the premium services and amenities we know Delta customers anticipate and enjoy," Joe Esposito, senior vice president of network planning at Delta, said in a statement.
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