Delta Air Lines plans to begin or resume 35 routes in December involving nine US hubs and airports, with Minneapolis having the most additions.
This finding is from using Cirium Diio to examine every route scheduled in December compared to November. Of the 35 links:
- Three are brand-new (Delta has never served them)
- Nine were served at least two years ago
- 23 were flown earlier this year and are simply returning (they're obviously mainly winter seasonal)
They are as follows. Only one is long-haul, with the SkyTeam member flying to Queensland's capital for the first time.
Brisbane will be its fourth Oceania destination after Auckland, Papeete (Tahiti), and Sydney.
After Qantas, Delta will become the airport pair's second operator, with its standard 306-seat A350-900s to be flown.
United flew Los Angeles-Auckland between December 2023 and February 2024 (!), and Virgin for years until 2020.
- Boston-Liberia: begins December 21; weekly A321neo
- Los Angeles-Brisbane: starts December 4; three times weekly A350-900
- Minneapolis-Tulum (it comes as American pulls Charlotte-Tulum in February): begins December 21; weekly A319
All but one are winter sun destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. They recommence before Christmas Day, helping with demand, loads, and fares for festive getaways.
They include New York JFK-Barbados, last served eight and a half years ago.
The only long-haul offering is New York JFK-Lagos. It was the most recently served of the nine routes and the only one with a daily frequency—a record for the airport pair. Previously, it was three times weekly.
- Detroit-Nassau: resumes on December 21; weekly A319 (last served in March 2020)
- Los Angeles-Mazatlan: restarts on December 21; weekly A319 (last served in January 2017)
- Minneapolis-Aruba: back on December 20; twice-weekly 757-200 (last served in March 2020)
- Minneapolis-Mazatlan: resumes on December 19; three times weekly 737-800 (last served in March 2019)
- Minneapolis-St. Maarten: restarts on December 19; twice-weekly 757-200 (last served in April 2017)
- New York JFK-Antigua: back on December 22; weekly 737-800 (last served in July 2021)
- New York JFK-Barbados: resumes on December 21; weekly 737-800 (last served in April 2016)
- New York JFK-Lagos: restarts on December 1; daily A330-200 (last served in October 2022)
- New York JFK-St. Kitts: back on December 21; weekly 737-800 (last served in March 2020)
The many simple seasonal resumptions are less exciting and significant. All but one were last flown in February, March, April, or May 2024.
The only exception was Atlanta-St. Kitts, which last saw Delta's metal in August 2024. Unsurprisingly, Atlanta is Delta's leading fortress hub.
There's only one long-haul offering: New York JFK-Rio de Janeiro. The winter-seasonal service originally began in December 2017 and operated until March 2020.
It returned in December 2023 before pausing for the summer.
- Atlanta-Cozumel: back on December 19; daily 737-800
- Atlanta-St. Kitts: restarts on December 21; weekly 737-800
- Boston-Aruba: resumes on December 19; daily 737-900ER
- Boston-Montego Bay: back on December 19; three to four times weekly 737-900ER
- Boston-Nassau: restarts on December 20; three to four times weekly 737-900ER/737-800
- Boston-Providenciales: resumes on December 21; weekly to twice-weekly 737-800
- Boston-Punta Cana: back on December 19; daily to eight times weekly 737-900ER
- Cincinnati-Cancun: restarts on December 21; weekly 737-800
- Detroit-Los Cabos: back on December 19; eight times weekly 737-900ER
- Detroit-Montego Bay: restarts on December 19; eight times weekly 737-900ER
- Detroit-Providenciales: back on December 21; weekly 737-900ER
- Detroit-Puerta Vallarta: restarts on December 19; daily 737-900ER
- Detroit-Punta Cana: resumes on December 19; eight times weekly to double daily 737-900ER/A321ceo
- New York JFK-Kingston: back on December 21; weekly 737-800
- New York JFK-Los Cabos: restarts on December 21; weekly A321neo
- New York JFK-Rio de Janeiro Galeão: resumes on December 20; daily 767-300ER
- New York LaGuardia-Nassau: back on December 19; daily A220-100
- Minneapolis-Belize City: restarts on December 22; weekly to twice-weekly 737-900ER
- Minneapolis-Cozumel: resumes on December 21; three times weekly 737-900ER/737-800
- Minneapolis-Grand Cayman: back on December 20; twice-weekly 737-900ER/737-800
- Minneapolis-Liberia: restarts on December 14; daily 737-900ER
- Minneapolis-Providenciales: resumes on December 21; twice-weekly 737-900ER
- Raleigh Durham-Cancun: back on December 21; weekly A320
