en.Wedoany.com Reported - Delta Air Lines plans to operate an average of 113 daily flights from the United States to long-haul destinations in Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, the Middle East, and South America between August and December 2026. Compared to the same period last year, the airline's capacity has increased by 4%.
According to schedules submitted by this SkyTeam member to Cirium Diio, it has arranged 118 long-haul routes, 10 of which are new or returning to the airline's network. After a three-year suspension due to the war, the route from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) (serving Tel Aviv) is scheduled to resume operations in December.
In the aviation industry, the Middle East is often considered separately from Asia. Due to the war, Delta currently has no flights to the region, with the next one scheduled for September 6, initially offering daily service and increasing to three daily flights later this year. Among all U.S. carriers, Delta ranks second in flights to the Middle East, behind United Airlines (scheduled to resume on September 8; averaging four daily flights through December). Although not operating throughout the entire August to December 2026 period, Delta's flights to the Middle East have increased by 24% year-over-year. This is driven by the launch of the Atlanta to King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh route (first flight on October 23; initially daily, then three times weekly, using Airbus A350-900), and the resumption of the Atlanta to Tel Aviv route (December 19; three times weekly, using A350-900). These will coexist with the New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Tel Aviv route (scheduled to resume on September 6; initially daily, then twice daily, using A330-900neo).
Delta is also the second-largest U.S. airline flying to other parts of Asia, with an average of 17 daily flights, behind United Airlines' 29. The airline's capacity has grown by 9% year-over-year, two percentage points higher than United Airlines. On June 6, Delta launched the Los Angeles to Hong Kong route (daily, using A350-900), marking the airline's return to the "Pearl of the Orient" after last operating the route from Seattle in 2018.
Delta is also the second-largest U.S. airline flying to Europe. Between August and December, the airline operates an average of 87 daily transatlantic flights, behind United Airlines (typically 90 daily). Despite no longer flying the JFK to Brussels, Geneva, and London Gatwick routes, Delta's capacity in Europe has grown by 3% over the past year. Seven new routes have driven Delta's expansion, all but one seasonal and mostly non-daily. For example, the airline has launched the JFK to Olbia, Italy route, marking Sardinia's first regular transatlantic service. Olbia solidifies Delta's position as the largest U.S. operator to Italy, with flight numbers up 12% year-over-year, serving six Italian airports.
Delta operates international long-haul flights from 12 hubs, focus cities, and other airports. Comparing data from August to December 2025 with the same period in 2026, 10 airports have seen flight numbers exceed last year's. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) saw the largest increase, with flight numbers up 41%, as the airline increasingly focuses on this hub, operating 8 long-haul routes: Auckland, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Shanghai Pudong, Sydney, and Tokyo Haneda. Boston has also seen significant growth, operating 11 international long-haul routes with flight numbers up 15% year-over-year, surpassing Minneapolis and Seattle to rank fourth.
