Delta Air Lines Launches Largest-ever Transatlantic Network

DALLAS — Delta Air Lines (DL) has expanded its transatlantic route network from its primary hubs for the summer season. The Atlanta-based carrier will offer a total of 77 routes to 32 destinations, so far the most extensive transatlantic route offering in the history of the airline.

With the inauguration of the two latest flights from Detroit (DTW) to Rome (FCO) and Minneapolis (MSP) to Reykjavik (KEF), DL is now operating 30% more connections compared to last year, peaking at more than 650 weekly flights across the pond.

The second-largest US carrier is the dominant American airline at three European airports—Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS), and Rome-Fiumicino (FCO)—hub airports for the largest SkyTeam carriers in Europe: Air France (AF), KLM (KL) and ITA Airways (AZ), respectively.

To meet the constantly increasing demand for flights across the Atlantic, DL has received six brand new widebody planes from the Airbus A330 and A350 families since October 2022.

Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900 — The Delta Airbus A350-900 can carry up to 306 passengers in a standard three-class configuration (Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class). Photo: Adrian Nowakowski/Airways.

More than 30 New Routes in Three Months

Delta's transatlantic campaign began in March 2023, the opening month of the high season in the northern hemisphere. That month alone, the carrier launched one flight from Los Angeles (LAX), two from Boston (BOS), five out of New York (JFK), and seven out of its Atlanta (ATL) superhub.

During April, the carrier continued to expand its connectivity out of JFK with the relaunch of flights to Copenhagen (CPH), Geneva (GVA), and London-Gatwick (LGW), as well as the inauguration of a separate service from Detroit (DTW) to Munich Airport (MUC).

Finally, during May and June, DL opened 13 new transatlantic routes, including crucial flights such as Atlanta (ATL) to Nice (NCE), Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris (CDG) or New York (JFK) to Berlin (BER).

Only three operators worldwide fly the Boeing 767-400ER variant: Delta (DL), United Airlines (UA), and the Government of Bahrain. Photo: Adrian Nowakowski/Airways

Delta's Latest Fleet Update

At the moment of writing, DL relies on four different airplane models to operate its extensive transatlantic route network: the Airbus A330, the A350, the Boeing 757, and the Boeing 767. In total, the airline owns and operates 285 units of all these aircraft.

Out of all the planes in DL's fleet, the Boeing 757 is the most frequently used for transatlantic flights, with a whopping 127 in operation. DL makes great use of the flexibility of the plane, utilizing it for both "long and skinny" European routes and some of the busiest domestic flights across the United States.

In addition, DL is one of only two commercial airlines that operate the longer Boeing 767-400ER aircraft, with 21 in operation. These planes can seat 238 passengers in a three-class setup. The airline also operates 45 Boeing 767-300ERs, which are the most common purely widebody planes in their fleet.

Turning to Airbus, DL has 92 widebody planes currently in operation, including variants of the Airbus A330-200, 300, 900neo, and A350-900. These planes complement the airline's large Boeing fleet, particularly on its prestigious European routes.

Featured image: Adrian Nowakowski/Airways

https://airwaysmag.com/delta-opens-third-sky-club-msp/